Engineering Manager – Aerospace Manufacturing

About the role

Meritus Talent is partnering with a leading aerospace manufacturing business in Southampton to hire an Engineering Manager. This position is ideal for a Manufacturing or Mechanical Engineer ready to step into a leadership role, overseeing manufacturing processes and driving operational excellence.

Key responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing engineering activities and support day‑to‑day production operations.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing route cards, work instructions and process documentation.
• Translate engineering designs into robust, repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Support new product introduction, industrialisation and process validation projects.
• Drive improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and support Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100 standards, assist with audits, FAIR and Root‑Cause Corrective Action (RRCA) activities.

Required profile

• Experience as a Manufacturing Engineer, Mechanical Engineer or similar within aerospace or regulated manufacturing.
• Proven ability or readiness to move into an Engineering Manager or leadership role.
• Strong stakeholder communication and project management experience.

Required skills

• In‑depth knowledge of AS9100 standards.
• Familiarity with GD&T principles.
• Experience with route cards, process validation and structured problem‑solving (RRCA, 8‑D).
• Understanding of OEE and TPM methodologies.

What we offer

• Salary up to £62,000 (DOE).
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Pension scheme.
• Career progression into senior leadership.
• Referral scheme for successful candidate placements.