Manufacturing Engineer (Composites)

Safran; Banbury; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension

Life assurance

Flexible working

25 days holiday

Job summary

Safran is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer (Composites) to join our R&D Manufacturing Engineering team in Banbury. You will develop and industrialise advanced composite manufacturing processes, taking concepts to production and working with cross‑functional teams to optimise processes and solve manufacturing challenges.

The role focuses on hands‑on engineering, continuous improvement and introducing new materials and equipment, with opportunities to influence design for manufacture and factory

Qualifications

• Experience developing composite manufacturing processes such as RTM, filament winding or braiding.
• Experience in aerospace or similarly regulated environments.
• Knowledge of DOE, process capability analysis and continuous improvement.
• Experience introducing automation into manufacturing processes.
• Familiar with tooling design and 3D CAD for manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimise composite manufacturing processes and document parameters.
• Support industrialisation of new products from R&D to production.
• Design tooling, jigs and fixtures for process development and manufacturing.
• Investigate issues and implement solutions to improve performance.
• Participate in MRL reviews and present progress to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with R&D and Design Engineering to ensure manufacturability.
• Support equipment introduction from business case to commissioning and validation.
• Conduct manufacturing trials and DOE activities in the R&D environment.
• Contribute to 5S and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Composite processes

Aerospace/regulatory environment

DOE / DoE analysis

Automation in manufacturing

Siemens NX CAD

Education

Engineering degree or apprenticeship

Tools

Siemens NX

Job description

Looking after the people who make Safran great is our priority. We offer a range of flexible benefits designed to support you, both in and out of work, including:

• Competitive salary and annual bonus and pay review
• 25 days' holiday + bank holidays
• Private medical insurance
• Flexible working options
• Pension (10% employer contribution) and life assurance
• Early finish on Fridays
• Professional development, ongoing training, mentoring
• Onsite amenities: parking, restaurant, bicycle storage, showers
• Family-friendly and accessible workplace policies

Safran - Here, we craft excellence together.

At Safran, excellence is a journey - and we'd love you to be a part of it. As a trusted global leader in aerospace, defence, and space, we are proud to be a company where diversity, innovation, and opportunity come together to shape a sustainable future where we can all succeed together through a shared vision.

About the Role:

We’re looking for a Manufacturing Engineer (Composites) to join our growing R&D Manufacturing Engineering team in Banbury. This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in developing and industrialising advanced composite manufacturing processes, helping to take innovative products from concept through to production. Working within a fast-paced research and development environment, you'll collaborate closely with engineering and manufacturing teams to optimise processes, solve complex manufacturing challenges and support the introduction of new technologies and equipment. If you enjoy hands‑on engineering, continuous improvement and seeing your ideas become reality, this could be the ideal opportunity for you.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and optimise composite manufacturing processes, documenting process parameters and analysing key manufacturing data.
• Support the industrialisation of new products and manufacturing methods from R&D through to production.
• Design tooling, jigs and fixtures to support process development and manufacturing activities.
• Investigate manufacturing issues and implement effective solutions to reduce risk and improve performance.
• Participate in Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) reviews and present progress to stakeholders at key project milestones.
• Collaborate with R&D and Design Engineering teams to ensure products are designed for manufacture.
• Support the introduction of new equipment, from business case development and factory layout through to commissioning and validation.
• Conduct manufacturing trials, testing and process development activities within the R&D environment.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, including 5S activities and process optimisation projects.
• Promote safe working practices and support the delivery of engineering excellence across the manufacturing function.

What You'll Bring:

• Experience developing composite manufacturing processes, including technologies such as Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), filament winding or braiding.
• Manufacturing engineering experience within an aerospace, automotive or similarly regulated engineering environment.
• Experience supporting the industrialisation, development or introduction of manufacturing processes and solving manufacturing challenges.
• Knowledge of Siemens NX or other 3D CAD packages, including tooling, fixture design and technical drawing creation.
• Understanding of Design of Experiments (DOE), process capability analysis and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience introducing automation into manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge of composite and metallic machining processes, alongside recognised engineering qualifications or apprenticeship training.

We know that some candidates may be put off applying for jobs where they don't meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the advert. We encourage anybody to apply if you can demonstrate a variety of skills and experience relevant to the requirements of this role. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the hiring process that may better facilitate your participation.