Composites Manager

NIF; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Pension contribution match

Private medical insurance

Private dental care

Employee assistance programme

Hybrid working

Job summary

TEKEVER UK Swindon is seeking a senior manufacturing leader to build and run a new composites airframes cell. You will design the facility, recruit the team, and drive it to target production rates across the European network.

You will spend time on the shop floor, shaping lay‑ups, cure layouts, and cell workflows while coordinating with procurement, engineering, and supply chain to outsource where appropriate. A strong focus on safety and quality is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in composites manufacture.
• Experience building a new manufacturing cell.
• Leadership and team-building.

Responsibilities

• Design and ramp a new composites manufacturing cell.
• Define space, layout, equipment and processes to hit production rate.
• Recruit and lead the shop-floor team and manage onboarding.
• Coordinate with European plants to transfer knowledge and suppliers.
• Oversee quality, safety and compliance for the area.

Skills

Composites manufacturing

Leadership

Project management

ERP/MES systems

Lean / 5S

Six Sigma

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Job description

Are you ready to revolutionise the world with TEKEVER?

At TEKEVER, we lead innovation in Europe as the European leader in unmanned technology, where cutting‑edge advancements meet unparalleled innovation.

Digital | Defence | Security | Space

We operate across four strategic areas, combining artificial intelligence, systems engineering, data science, and aerospace technology to tackle global challenges — from protecting people and critical infrastructure to exploring space.

We offer a unique surveillance‑as‑a‑service solution that delivers real‑time intelligence, enhancing maritime safety and saving lives. Our products and services support strategic and operational decisions in the most demanding environments — whether at sea, on land, in space, or in cyberspace.

Become part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and mission‑driven team that is transforming maritime surveillance and redefining global safety standards.

At TEKEVER, our mission is to provide limitless support through mission‑oriented game‑changers, delivering the right information at the right time to empower critical decision‑making.

If you're passionate about technology and eager to shape the future — TEKEVER is the place for you.

Mission:

Build and run the composites manufacturing capability for Tekever UK Swindon Site drone structure manufacture. From concept to a fully equipped and staffed cell producing the composite airframes and structures that go into every aircraft we build.

This is a build‑it‑from‑scratch role. You will outline the space, how the product is made, recruit the team and then drive to hit the production rate the business needs. You will own the area end to end: layout and footprint, pre‑preg lay‑up capability, material, tooling, mould control and trimming and finishing.

You will spend your time on the shop floor as much as at a desk. Priorities such as outlined lay‑up and cure layouts, interviewing and onboarding your team, creating dedicated trim and inspection cells and driving production to hit rate. You will also work across our European plant network, drawing on proven layouts, processes and lessons learned from sites that are already established and building the supply chain relationships needed to outsource key materials and components where it makes sense to do so.

Key Responsibilities

Facility design and footprint

• Outline the space allocation and factory footprint for composites manufacture — layout, workflow, material flow, climate‑controlled lay‑up and clean areas, cure, trim, inspection and storage.

• Source and commission the equipment, tooling and fixtures needed to build composite structures at target rate such as cutting tables, autoclaves/ovens, vacuum bagging equipment, trim booths and inspection equipment. Partner with Facilities, Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain on selection and installation.

• Plan the physical build‑out in phases, aligned to the wider factory ramp and production milestones.

• Visit and benchmark our established production plants across Europe, and translate proven layouts, equipment choices and ways of working into the design of the facility.

• Deploy the dedicated cure, trim and inspection cells specifying equipment, safety systems, instrumentation, data capture and processes.

Composite lay‑up and material process ownership

• Own laminate schedules, resin systems, fibre (carbon, glass, aramid) and core materials (honeycomb, foam) — specification, approval and ongoing control.

• Own material preparation — cutting, kitting, ply‑book adherence, prepreg freezer storage, out‑time / out‑life tracking and full material traceability from goods‑in to lay‑up.

• Operationally own and mould design, manufacture, maintenance and calibration, ensuring tools are fit for purpose and available to the production plan.

• Own mechanical and manual trimming and finishing of composite components.

Cross‑plant collaboration and best practice transfer

• Build working relationships with your counterparts at our established production plants across Europe key learning of proven composite processes, tooling, lay‑up and test methods.

• Lead knowledge‑transfer exercises to capture, validate and adapt existing composite build processes, work instructions and lessons learned into your facility.

• Represent this facility's own innovations and lessons learned back into the network, so best practice flows in both directions.

Supply chain and outsourcing

• Work with Procurement/Supply Chain and Manufacturing Engineering to select material and outsourcing partners — resin, fibre, core and tooling — against cost, quality, lead time and supply security ensuring key component rate achievement is protected. Ensuring all outsourced materials and components meet quality standards.

Team build and leadership

• Recruit, build and lead the composites unit manufacturing team scaling in line with the production ramp.

• Define the team structure, role profiles, shift pattern and skills matrix; identify training needs and own the training plan.

• Onboard new team members set clear performance expectations and manage performance throughout.

• Build a culture of safety, ownership and continuous improvement within the team.

Quality and test

• Own documentation and quality assurance for the composites area — work instructions, ply‑by‑ply build records, cure records, batch and material traceability and non‑conformance management.

• Own the inspection and test regimes — visual and dimensional inspection, NDT, witness and coupon testing — defining pass/fail criteria, test procedures and data capture ensuring every component that leaves the cell meets specification.

• Partner with the Quality function on root‑cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and non‑conformance management and drive measurable improvement in first‑pass yield, scrap and rework.

• Ensure the area operates within the relevant quality management system (e.g. AS9100 / ISO 9001) and any applicable safety or export‑control requirements.

Production delivery

• Own the daily, weekly and monthly output of the composites area against the production plan delivering to schedule, to quality and to cost.

• Ensure production rate as volumes ramp is achieved, identifying and resolving constraints in real time.

• Run a structured day‑start / shift routine with clear KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, cost and people.

• Plan and balance capacity across material preparation, lay‑up, cure, trim, inspection and finishing.

Continuous improvement

• Own the lean operating system for the area: 5S, standard work, visual management and structured problem‑solving and Kaizen.

• Lead improvement projects with measurable gains in safety, quality, throughput, lead time and cost.

• Use data to drive decisions, and champion a data‑led approach across the team.

Health, safety and compliance

• Hold ultimate accountability for the safety of everyone working in the composites area, including resin, solvent and prepreg handling, cutting, trimming and cure operations.

• Ensure full compliance with UK health and safety legislation, COSHH for resins, hardeners and solvents, dust and fume extraction, fire safety around prepreg, ovens and autoclaves, and site procedures.

• Ensure correct PPE, handling and storage controls for composite materials, and safe operation of cutting, trimming and cure equipment.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• Experience in composites manufacture — aerospace, automotive, marine, motorsport, UAV/model aircraft or similar structural composite products.

• Practical, hands‑on experience of both wet lay‑up and pre‑preg lay‑up processes, including laminate, resin, fibre and core material selection and control.

• Experience in building a new manufacturing cell, line or facility including layout design, equipment selection, process definition and ramp to rate.

• Working knowledge of mechanical and manual trimming and finishing methods for composite components.

• A track record of recruiting, building and retaining a shop‑floor or workshop team.

• Working knowledge of quality systems, documentation and material traceability in a regulated or precision‑engineered environment.

• Practical continuous improvement experience: Lean, 5S, standard work, structured problem‑solving.

• Confidence with ERP/MES systems and shop‑floor data.

Desirable

• Experience working across a multi‑site or multi‑country manufacturing network, including transferring processes or best practice between plants.

• Comfortable with European travel and working with colleagues across languages and sites.

• Experience with additive manufacturing / 3D printing as a production support capability.

• Experience in aerospace, defence, motorsport or automotive composite structures manufacture.

• Experience commissioning a new factory, cell or line as part of a capacity expansion.

• Six Sigma Green Belt or above.

• Engineering qualification (HNC / HND / Degree in Composites, Mechanical, Manufacturing or related discipline) — or equivalent demonstrated experience.

• Eligible for UK security clearance (SC) if the role sits within a defence‑related programme.

What we have to offer you:

At TEKEVER, we offer a comprehensive package designed to reward, support, and develop our people. This includes a highly competitive salary with a discretionary annual bonus and a company pension contribution match of up to 10%. To support your wellbeing, we provide 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, Private Medical Insurance (with optional family cover), Private Dental care, and an Employee Assistance Programme. We are deeply committed to investing in future talent; our scale allows us to provide clear career development opportunities and dedicated initiatives to boost your skill sets, ensuring you remain future‑ready for the evolving workplace. Furthermore, our team enjoys a flexible hybrid working model, typically three days a week at our core UK sites like Bristol, and access to a bespoke rewards platform featuring a variety of high street discounts and salary sacrifice schemes, including Electric Car, Cycle to Work, and Technology options.

Do you want to know more about us ?

Visit our LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/tekever/