Technical Manager – MoD and Defence

Jonathan Lee Recruitment; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking an experienced Technical Manager for a permanent role in the Bristol area. In this position, you will lead a team in Structural and Fluid Dynamics, manage external suppliers, and ensure technical excellence. Ideal candidates have a degree in aerospace or a related field, with post-graduate qualifications preferred. The role includes potential hybrid working options and requires UK nationals due to security clearance demands.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in a related discipline.
• Post-graduate qualification desirable.
• Membership of an Engineering Body desirable.
• Chartered Engineer Status desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership or support on projects.
• Manage external suppliers and conduct quality audits.
• Evaluate current tool-sets and identify needs.
• Facilitate team recruitment of qualified engineers.

Skills

Technical leadership

Project management

Continuous improvement

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics

Post-graduate qualification (Master's or Doctorate)

Job description

Technical Manager – Permanent - Bristol Area – Attractive – Aerospace, Marine, MoD and Defence

A Technical Manager is required within an Advanced Aerospace, Marine and Defence Services Organisation.

The Technical Manager will join the senior management team and will be responsible for the development and management of the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability, ensuring that the team has the right technical capabilities, tools, and processes in place to meet the various project requirements, both now and in the future.

The Technical Manager is the focal point for technical excellence, resource planning for the capability and ensuring continuous improvement within the domain. The Technical Manager should have industrial experience in some, but not all of Flight Loads, Aeroelastics, Vibration or Test support, Aerodynamic Knowledge, Hydraulic Systems, Thermal Analysis, Acoustics and Modelling Using Matlab, Nastran and or Ansys Fluent.

The successful Technical Manager will be responsible for the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability, including day to day management and longer-term strategy.

Flexible working May be available with a hybrid working model for part of the week.

The Technical Manager you will be required to:

• Provide technical leadership or support on projects where required
• Ensure appropriate technical support is available for customer interactions
• Manage external suppliers within the technical area, including tendering and quality audits
• Facilitate team’s ability to deliver by ensuring right people, tools, and processes are in place
• Act as the focal point for tools within the technical area
• Evaluate current tool‑sets and identify needs for new tools or upgrades
• Develop business cases where new tools are required and leading their implementation
• Ensure tools are used effective to support delivery and innovation
• Allocation of the team members in line with the project requirements
• Define and manage annual budget needs for internal development of capabilities/processes
• Support business development activities and contribute to project proposals and bids
• Hold technical checks and/or approvals for capability area in line with delegated authority
• Act as the process owner for the technical domain, identifying missing or outdated processes
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and push for process change where needed
• Own and manage bench tasks to support capability development and delivery readiness
• Collaborate with other Technical Managers to ensure cross-functional alignment consistency
• Facilitate recruitment of suitably qualified/skilled engineers to support growth of company

The Technical Manager Skills, Qualifications, and Experience:

• Candidates will be degree qualified (or equivalent), in a related discipline preferably Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Mathematics.
• Post‑graduate qualification to a Master’s degree or Doctorate in a relevant specialisation would be desirable
• Membership of an Engineering Body would be desirable
• Chartered Engineer Status would be desirable

Security Clearance and UK Nationals only for this role due to the nature of systems involved

Demand for this role will undoubtedly be high, and interviews will be arranged very soon and to be considered, please apply today. If you have any questions about the Technical Manager, then contact Peter Heap at Jonathan Lee Recruitment on 01384 446127 or [e-mail]