Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer - NPI / Industrialisation

Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer – NPI / Industrialisation
Ampthill, Bedfordshire
4 Day Week (Mon–Thurs) | On-site
£50,000 – £55,000 + Benefits
SC Required (DV Eligible)
We are working in partnership with a leading UK defence organisation to recruit a Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer to support New Product Introduction (NPI) and industrialisation activities within a highly specialised engineering environment.
This is an excellent opportunity for a proactive manufacturing professional who thrives on setting up processes, defining production capability, and owning industrialisation activities from concept through to full-rate production.
The Opportunity
This position sits within a Special Projects environment and will play a critical role in bridging design and production. You will represent Production Operations within design forums and take ownership of manufacturing readiness.
This is not a hands-on CNC role — it is a planning, industrialisation, and process development position focused on:

• Setting up new workshops / assembly lines
  
• Developing manufacturing methods and build documentation
  
• Creating and managing BOMs and routings in SAP
  
• Defining sequences of operation and production flow
  
• Identifying tooling and fixturing requirements
  
• Supporting facility layout and line configuration
  
• Driving lean improvements and right-first-time quality
  You will operate with a high degree of autonomy and be trusted to lead your workstream with minimal supervision.
  What We’re Looking For
  We’re keen to speak with candidates who have:
  
• Strong experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI)
  
• A background in complex mechanical assembly environments
  
• Experience developing detailed manufacturing process documentation
  
• Solid understanding of MRP systems and SAP (or similar ERP platforms)
  
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma principles
  
• Experience influencing design teams from a production perspective
  Candidates from aerospace, defence, automotive Tier 1, or other high-value manufacturing sectors are particularly encouraged to apply.
  Clearance Requirements
  
• Candidates must hold active SC clearance or be eligible to obtain it.
  
• If your SC has lapsed, we would still welcome your application, provided you are eligible for reinstatement. The role will require eligibility for DV clearance in due course.
  Why This Role?
  
• 4-day working week (Mon–Thursday)
  
• Genuine end-to-end lifecycle involvement
  
• Opportunity to shape production capability in a growing special projects area
  
• Strong stability and long-term programme visibility
  
• Clear pathway for progression within manufacturing and operations engineering
  If you are an experienced Manufacturing / Process Engineer with a strong NPI background and are looking for a role where you can truly own industrialisation activities, please apply or contact us for a confidential discussion