Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Are you an experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineer with a strong background in aerospace or precision manufacturing?

Do you enjoy solving complex engineering challenges, improving manufacturing processes and supporting other engineers to deliver continuous improvement?

We're supporting a leading engineering and manufacturing business in Fareham who are looking for an experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineer to join their Operations team.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys combining hands-on manufacturing engineering, process development and technical leadership within a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment.

What's the role all about?

As the Senior Manufacturing Engineer, you'll play a key role in improving manufacturing processes, supporting production and ensuring products are manufactured safely, efficiently and to the highest quality standards.

You'll work closely with Production, Design Engineering and Operations, providing technical expertise across New Product Introduction (NPI), process improvement, tooling design and manufacturing readiness.

You'll also support and mentor fellow Manufacturing Engineers, helping to develop technical capabilities and promote a strong continuous improvement culture.

This isn't simply a production support role. You'll have the opportunity to influence how products are manufactured, introduce new processes and drive long-term improvements across the business.

What will you be doing?

• Provide technical leadership, coaching and support to Manufacturing Engineers and Production teams
• Improve manufacturing processes to increase efficiency, quality and productivity
• Support existing production lines, resolving technical issues and minimising downtime
• Design and develop manufacturing tooling, fixtures and processing equipment
• Lead process development projects from concept through to production handover
• Champion Design for Manufacture (DFM) during New Product Introduction
• Work closely with Design Engineering to improve product manufacturability
• Conduct Design of Experiments (DOE) to improve process capability, yield and cycle times
• Implement PFMEA, Control Plans and Statistical Process Control (SPC)
• Support Material Review Board (MRB) activities and improve first-pass yield
• Lead technical problem-solving and 8D investigations
• Carry out Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) for new equipment and processes
• Develop manufacturing documentation, training packages and process instructions
• Support risk assessments and ensure new tooling and processes meet Health & Safety requirements
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, manufacturing costs and production cycle times
• Develop capital investment proposals to support new technology and capacity improvements
• Lead continuous improvement activities including Kaizen events
• Work with suppliers to resolve technical manufacturing issues

What do you need?

We're looking for someone with:

• Master's Degree or equivalent in Engineering
• 5–10 years' relevant engineering experience
• 3–5 years' experience within aerospace or a similar high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment
• Strong background in Manufacturing Engineering and process development
• Experience in product development and New Product Introduction
• Good understanding of GD&T and CAD
• Experience with metal fabrication and surface treatment processes
• Knowledge of FMEA and structured problem-solving techniques
• Proven experience leading 8D investigations or improvement projects
• Experience working within an AS9100 environment
• Strong data analysis and technical problem-solving skills
• Project management experience
• Experience using programming and analysis software
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to coach and train others

Desirable

It would also be beneficial if you have:

• Experience with SAP or other ERP systems
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma
• Experience within a machining workshop
• CNC machining experience
• Strong practical experience using CAD for tooling and process development

About you

You'll be someone who enjoys getting involved in the detail of manufacturing and finding better ways of doing things.

You'll be:

• Technically confident and solutions-focused
• Proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement
• Comfortable leading technical discussions
• A strong problem solver
• Analytical and data-driven
• Confident coaching and mentoring other engineers
• Organised and capable of managing multiple projects
• Comfortable challenging existing processes
• Collaborative when working with Production, Quality and Design teams
• Passionate about continuous improvement

Most importantly, you'll understand that successful Manufacturing Engineering isn't just about fixing problems when they occur – it's about developing processes that prevent them from happening in the first place.

Why join?

This is an opportunity to join an established engineering and manufacturing business where you'll have a genuine influence on how products are manufactured.

You'll work across production support, tooling design, process development and NPI, giving you exposure to a broad range of engineering challenges.

You'll also have the opportunity to support and develop other engineers while driving improvements in manufacturing performance, quality and efficiency.

The details

Role: Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Fareham / Segensworth

Department: Production / Manufacturing Engineering

Reporting to: Head of Operations

Industry: Aerospace / Precision Manufacturing

Experience: 5–10 years' relevant engineering experience

Interested?

If you're an experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Manufacturing Process Engineer or Senior Production Engineer with a background in aerospace or high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today or contact Kingdom People for a confidential discussion.

Kingdom People are acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.