Operations Leader - (Steelwork/Welding/Caulking)

BAE Systems.; Barrow-in-Furness; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor is seeking an Operations Leader specializing in Steelwork, Welding, and Caulking in Barrow-in-Furness. This role involves establishing networks among engineering teams, influencing build strategies, and managing multiple stakeholders to ensure production quality. The ideal candidate will have practical trade experience, be proficient in MS Office, and possess strong communication and leadership skills. Competitive salary and a range of benefits are offered, alongside opportunities for growth within the operations function.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible discounted health benefits

Private health plans

Shopping discounts

Annual incentive eligibility

Qualifications

• Experience leading collaborative builds within shipbuilding.
• Ability to engage various stakeholders effectively.
• Understanding of production quality outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Establish a network within Engineering & Build Functions.
• Review and challenge the Build Strategy.
• Engage with stakeholders to address build concerns.
• Identify tooling requirements for production.

Skills

Practical experience in Steelwork/Welding or Caulking

Proficient in Microsoft Office applications

Effective communication skills

Facilitating and leading meetings

Stakeholder management

Knowledgeable in shipbuilding & engineering terminology

Understanding of build strategies

Education

HNC or Production-related Staff Role

Tools

Siemens software packages (Teamcenter, T/C Visualiser)

Job description

Job Title: Operations Leader - (Steelwork/Welding/Caulking)

Location: Barrow-in-Furness (On-site)

Salary: £47,271+ depending on skills and experience

What you'll be doing :

• Establishing a Network amongst the Engineering & Build Functions
• Review, influence, challenge and endorse the SSNA Build Strategy towards an 18-month drumbeat
• Influencing/Reviewing & Endorsing the SSNA Design
• Working to Engineering Documentation such as TDI's (Technical Department Instructions)
• Reviewing Workmanship Standards and Manufacturing Instructions
• Attending MAIT/MAT Meetings, DSUMs
• Engaging with Wider Stakeholders to mitigate any Steelwork/Welding/Caulking concerns striving towards workable right first time arrangements/solutions
• Identifying any jigs, rigs, fixtures and tooling requirements
• Instill Quality and Design for Safety practices

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Practical experience in Steelwork/Welding or Caulking (trade background required)
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
• An effective communicator, able to engage and collaborate with people at all levels
• Skilled in facilitating and leading meetings, with the ability to bring people together and build consensus
• Experienced in working with multiple stakeholders across different teams and functions
• Knowledgeable in shipbuilding & engineering terminology and comfortable applying it in practice
• Understanding of build strategies and how they contribute to production and quality outcomes

Desirable:

• Experience using Siemens software packages such as Teamcenter & T/C Visualiser for data, planning, and design decisions
• Awareness of Operations & Manufacturing Engineering activities including strategy, planning, objectives, milestones, tooling requirements and dependencies
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Familiarity with relevant build trades and technical domains
• Understanding of people policies and procedures, including responsibilities as a line manager
• HNC or Production-related Staff Role

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The team:

In this role, you will collaborate with a multitude of stakeholders to oversee and coordinate build activities, ensuring engineering designs are effectively translated into production. You'll play a key part in connecting the Design, Build, and Engineering functions, identifying and resolving issues during the build process while helping drive efficiency and quality. Furthermore, focussing on ensuring the correct decisions are made for manufacturing and fabrication activities aligned the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS). You will work closely with Engineering and Build teams to maintain high standards of quality and safety, using your knowledge of Steelwork, Welding and/or Caulking, and platform build processes to support smooth and effective production. All roles offer excellent opportunities to grow and progress within the wider Operations function, contributing to the success of our build programmes and future capabilities. We offer relocation support packages across all Submarines roles, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you'll be able to make a real difference. You'll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you'll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date:

9th January 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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