Plant Manufacturing Engineering Lead

Blackshark; West of England; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Pension scheme

Stock options

Career growth

Job summary

iCOMAT seeks an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Lead to manage ME and Tooling for a production plant. You will deliver hands‑on engineering work, set objectives, and drive capability across Operations and Engineering to ensure successful manufacturing readiness.

You will lead APQP/NPI activities, create routings/BoMs, and implement quality control plans while collaborating with cross‑functional teams to scale our composites and tooling operations globally.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ industrial experience within Manufacturing Engineering in a production, NPI or industrialisation environment.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience managing, supervising or directly leading a technical team.
• Practical knowledge of composite manufacture and processing is essential.
• Strong understanding of composite materials and their behavior.
• Understanding of AS9100 and quality control within an aerospace or advanced manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in CAD, ideally SolidWorks and Composer, plus Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Proven experience leading Manufacturing Engineering, Tooling or production support activity in an industrial environment.
• Hands‑on approach with the ability to deliver technical work content directly as well as lead others.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing process development, production documentation, routings, BoMs, process sheets, work instructions and Methods of Manufacture.
• Experience with PFMEA, structured problem solving, root cause analysis, gauge R&R awareness and continuous improvement methods.
• Analytical thinking, problem‑solving and creativity.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing.
• Communication and teamwork skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to plan workload, set objectives, manage priorities and communicate clearly with Operations, Engineering, Quality and Supply Chain stakeholders.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving scale‑up environment where processes are being standardised and improved as the business grows.

Responsibilities

• Lead the plant ME and Tooling teams, setting objectives, developing capability and planning the team workload.
• Own the Manufacturing Engineering delivery plan for the plant, ensuring priorities are aligned with Operations and Engineering.
• Deliver hands‑on Manufacturing Engineering work content as part of the role, not just team management.
• Support BD with quotations, including manufacturing methodology, process assumptions, tooling requirements and costings.
• Support product design for manufacture as required.
• Create routings and BoMs for production and tooling activities.
• Create full Methods of Manufacture (MoMs), providing: Step‑by‑step manufacturing instructions, Health and Safety requirements, including COSHH assessments where required, Tooling required, Equipment required, Key material specifications, Cure cycle specifications and programme numbers.
• Confirmation that customer specifications, quality approvals and compliance requirements have been identified and covered.
• Develop process sheets as required for standard procedures.
• Develop and implement quality control procedures and ensure an inspection plan is in place.
• Support the Tooling Design team to create tooling concepts, tooling requirements, fixtures and supporting equipment.
• Deliver APQP process on NPI where required, including process flow, PFMEA, control plan and PPAP / Fair.
• Take build‑to‑print components, tooling and parts from Design Engineering through to production, ensuring manufacturing risks, process controls and quality requirements have been evaluated.
• Own local manufacturing readiness for new products and processes, ensuring process development, tooling, material, documentation, training and quality controls are in place before production release.
• Review production data and recommend improvements in quality control and efficiency through process change.
• Lead structured problem solving for manufacturing, tooling, quality and process issues, using practical root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Develop plant capability through skills matrices, SME ownership, training plans and help standardised process knowledge across ME, Tooling and Operations.
• Support procurement and suppliers with technical guidance on materials, tooling, equipment, packaging and manufacturing requirements.
• Promote safe working practices, AS9100-aligned quality standards, lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement across the plant.
• Collaborate across sites to share best practice and help standardise Manufacturing Engineering ways of working as iCOMAT scales internationally.

Skills

Manufacturing Eng

Team Leadership

Composite Mfg

AS9100

CAD - SW

Tooling

Root Cause

PFMEA

Lean Manufacturing

Quality Systems

Education

Composite Materials degree

Manufacturing Engineering degree

Mechanical Engineering degree

Tools

SolidWorks

Composer

CNC Machining

Jigs & Fixtures

Job description

iCOMAT seeks an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Lead to manage ME and Tooling for a production plant. You will deliver hands‑on engineering work, set objectives, and drive capability across Operations and Engineering to ensure successful manufacturing readiness.

You will lead APQP/NPI activities, create routings/BoMs, and implement quality control plans while collaborating with cross‑functional teams to scale our composites and tooling operations globally.