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Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Ready to shape the future of aerospace manufacturing? Join Collins Aerospace at our WASP Havant facility, where we’re seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to drive innovation in production and New Product Introduction (NPI).

As a global leader in aircraft interiors, we deliver world-class cabin solutions for both commercial and private aviation — from First Class luxury to cutting-edge Business and Premium experiences. At WASP Havant, our manufacturing team brings these designs to life, combining precision engineering, lean practices, and technical excellence to create products that set new standards in quality and performance.

What You Will Do:

As a Lead Manufacturing Engineer – NPI & Production, you will lead a team of 3–5 engineers, providing guidance and oversight across all stages of the manufacturing process, with a primary focus on New Product Introduction (NPI). This role is centred on assembly and manufacture, but you’ll also bring broad expertise across the full operations process — from logistics to testing and inspection.

• Lead, mentor, and develop your team to achieve production and development goals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (design, operations, quality) to ensure manufacturability of aerospace interior products.
• Develop and maintain clear, accurate assembly instructions, processes, and work instructions.
• Support production facilities and provide technical expertise to resolve engineering challenges.
• Participate in design reviews, offering feedback to optimise manufacturability, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency.
• Manage outsourced manufacturing processes, ensuring suppliers meet cost, quality, and delivery requirements.
• Implement lean manufacturing practices and continuous improvement initiatives to optimise efficiency and reduce waste.
• Drive compliance with standards, processes, and requirements across NPI and production activities.
• Support APQP implementation, including process control and risk assessments for new designs.
• Collect and analyse KPIs to identify improvements and ensure high efficiency.
• Lead problem-solving initiatives (8D, RCA) for customer and production issues.
• Investigate new processes, equipment, and tooling to enhance production capabilities.
• Oversee plant maintenance planning and ensure tooling and equipment resources match production demand.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in production/manufacturing engineering, ideally within aerospace or other regulated industries.
• Experience leading or mentoring engineers, or strong senior-level engineering background with cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong knowledge of assembly processes, including electronic and high-aesthetic products.
• Experience creating and developing assembly instructions, processes, and work instructions (SolidWorks Composer desirable).
• Solid understanding of lean manufacturing principles with a proven track record of process improvement.
• Familiarity with APQP and its application in product development (advantageous).
• Knowledge of aerospace quality standards (AS9100, ISO 9001 desirable).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex production issues.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with internal teams, suppliers, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency in engineering tools and software such as CAD, PLM, and ERP systems (advantageous).

What We Offer:

People are core to what we do. As such, we are committed to providing an industry leading benefits package. We offer a highly competitive salary, annual bonus, and many other benefits to include: 

• 25 days Annual Leave & 9 Public Holidays (+/- 5d buyback) 
• Attractive Compensation Package 
• Early finish Fridays 
• Professional Development  
• Support with professional fees 
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) 
• BUPA medical insurance and immediate family discount 
• Staff Discounts 
• Wellness Programs 
• Death in Service Benefit  
• Generous Employer Contribution Pension Scheme 

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment. All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.  

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