Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Composites Manufacture

About the role

Tekever, a European leader in unmanned technology covering digital, defence, security and space, is looking for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer for its UK production operation. You will own and develop composite manufacturing processes, initially helping transfer and establish existing composite capability, then leading improvements in process capability, variation, scrap and throughput as production scales.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, document and continuously improve composite manufacturing processes from material preparation to finished components.
• Support hand lay-up and pre-preg manufacturing, including material handling, lay-up, consolidation and curing.
• Develop processes for trimming, finishing, drilling, bonding and composite assembly.
• Work with operators and technicians to reduce variation and improve repeatability.
• Transfer proven processes to the UK operation and establish production-ready methods.
• Develop and improve tooling, moulds, jigs and fixtures, and give manufacturing input to product and tooling design (DfMA).
• Create work instructions, standard work and process documentation.
• Lead root-cause investigations of defects, non-conformances, scrap and rework, and drive quality, cycle time, yield, ergonomics and cost improvements.
• Support production ramp-up and capacity planning, and work with Quality on process controls and aerospace and customer requirements.
• Share technical knowledge and help develop the capabilities of operators, technicians and the Manufacturing Engineering team.

Required profile

• Significant experience in composite manufacturing in a production environment.
• Strong practical knowledge of hand lay-up and pre-preg processes, and hands-on experience with trimming, drilling and/or bonding.
• Experience developing, improving or industrialising composite manufacturing processes.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications and technical documentation.
• Experience in a controlled quality environment such as AS9100, ISO 9001 or equivalent.
• Desirable: aerospace, UAS, defence or motorsport experience, and experience with NPI, technology transfer or production ramp-up.

Required skills

• Composite manufacturing processes, tooling, moulds, jigs and fixtures.
• Root-cause investigation and continuous improvement.
• Effective communication across Manufacturing, Design, Quality and Production.

What we offer

• Competitive salary with a discretionary annual bonus and a pension contribution match of up to 10%.
• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, private medical insurance, dental care and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Career development opportunities and a flexible hybrid model, typically three days a week at core UK sites such as Bristol.
• A rewards platform with high street discounts and salary sacrifice schemes.