AIT Operations Lead — Spacecraft Assembly & Test

GreenPepper; Leiden; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands in Leiden seeks a dynamic leader to head a team of approximately 20-25 AIT Technicians and Test Engineers. The role focuses on planning, coordinating and developing the team to ensure safe, efficient assembly, integration and testing to aerospace quality standards.

You will report to the Head of Assembly, Integration & Test and drive process improvements, stakeholder coordination and career development within a high-tech aerospace environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or HBO/MBO+ in a technical discipline.
• 5+ years of relevant experience; approximately 8-10 years ideal.
• Proven leadership or people management experience in a technical, production or manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on technical experience enabling translation of technical challenges into practical solutions.
• Experience in aerospace, aviation, space or other high-tech manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrable experience with process improvement and leading improvement initiatives.
• Continuous improvement mindset; Lean or Six Sigma experience is a strong advantage.
• Experience with SAP or another ERP system is an advantage.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Strong planning and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills in Dutch and English.
• Proactive, decisive and solution‑oriented leadership style.
• Ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders in a complex technical environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of approximately 20-25 AIT Technicians and Test Engineers
• Plan and allocate team resources according to project priorities, capacity and production requirements
• Coordinate assembly, integration and testing activities and ensure effective execution
• Monitor team performance, workload, progress and resource utilization
• Act as a point of contact for AIT Managers, Project Leaders and other stakeholders
• Identify bottlenecks and operational challenges and initiate improvements and corrective actions
• Lead and support process improvement initiatives within the department
• Translate technical challenges into practical solutions and ensure implementation
• Support professional development of team members through coaching, feedback and performance management
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Work Preparation, Quality and Logistics
• Contribute to departmental planning, operational improvements and strategic initiatives
• Ensure activities comply with applicable quality, safety and aerospace standards

Skills

Leadership

People management

Planning

SAP

Lean Six Sigma

Process improvement

Microsoft Office

Communication

Dutch

English

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree (HBO/MBO+)

Mechanical Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Mechatronics

Tools

SAP

Job description

Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands in Leiden seeks a dynamic leader to head a team of approximately 20-25 AIT Technicians and Test Engineers. The role focuses on planning, coordinating and developing the team to ensure safe, efficient assembly, integration and testing to aerospace quality standards.

You will report to the Head of Assembly, Integration & Test and drive process improvements, stakeholder coordination and career development within a high-tech aerospace environment.