Manufacturing Engineer (Composites)

CV-Library
Darwen, Lancashire
13 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Junior Materials Engineer

Octagon Group Gloucester, United Kingdom

Senior Software Engineer - Core Services

PhysicsX London, United Kingdom

Simulation Engineer - FEA

PhysicsX North Tyneside, NE29 8EP, United Kingdom

Software Engineer - AI Workbench

PhysicsX London, United Kingdom

Senior CFD Engineer - Multiphase

PhysicsX London, United Kingdom

Principal AI Engineer

PhysicsX London, United Kingdom
Posted
10 Apr 2025 (13 months ago)

Summary of role:

As a Manufacturing Engineering, specialising in Composites and Continuous Improvement, this role will play a key role in the development and optimisation of manufacturing processes for composite materials used in Aerospace applications. This role is focused on driving continuous improvement initiatives across production processes.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in materials science, specifically composites, and a proven track record of identifying and implementing process improvements to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve product quality. This role will be involved in new production introduction into the business, ensuring the cost effectiveness and efficiency of production.

Key Responsibilities:

Composites Engineering

Develop, implement, and optimise manufacturing processes for composite materials and components, ensuring alignment with engineering specifications and industry standards.
Serve as a primary technical point of contact for composite materials and continuous improvement initiatives within the organisation.
Collaborate with design, engineering, and production teams to develop and refine composite manufacturing methods, including layup, curing, machining, and bonding processes.
Design and implement tooling, fixtures, and equipment required for composite manufacturing, ensuring they meet production and quality requirements.
Conduct process trials and validate new manufacturing methods to ensure they meet performance, cost, and quality objectives.
Troubleshoot and resolve manufacturing issues related to composite materials, processes, and equipment.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance manufacturing efficiency, reduce waste, and improve product quality.
Work closely with quality assurance teams to ensure compliance with AS9100 and other relevant aerospace quality standards.
Prepare and maintain detailed documentation of manufacturing processes, including work instructions, process specifications, and quality control plans.
Ensure all composite materials and products meet industry standards, regulations, and customer specifications.
Participate in product testing, failure analysis, and validation processes to ensure the integrity and durability of composite materials.
Stay up to date with the latest advancements in composite materials and manufacturing technologies and integrate new innovations into production processes.
Provide technical support and training to production staff on composite manufacturing processes and best practices.

Continuous Improvement Initiatives
 
Lead continuous improvement projects focused on optimising manufacturing processes, reducing waste, improving throughput, and enhancing overall product quality.
Utilise continuous improvement methodologies to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in manufacturing.
Implement process control measures and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure continuous improvement objectives are met.
Conduct root cause analysis of production issues and lead corrective action teams to resolve them.
Develop, update and refine manufacturing process standards (MPS’s) for composite processes.
Ensure training and mentoring for manufacturing staff and other engineers on best practices for handling and working with composite materials.
Communicate progress, challenges, and successes of improvement projects to stakeholders, including senior leadership.
Involvement with APQP as new product introductions, providing technical knowledge

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Materials Science Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Advertising materials science jobs in the UK requires a different approach to most technical hiring. The candidate pool spans physicists, chemists, metallurgists, ceramicists, polymer scientists and computational materials researchers — a highly multidisciplinary community with distinct professional identities, academic networks and job search behaviours. The strongest candidates are typically embedded in university research groups, national laboratories, government-funded programmes or deep tech R&D teams, and move between roles through specialist academic channels, professional societies and sector-specific networks rather than mainstream job boards. This guide, published by MaterialsScienceJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise materials science roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

How Many Materials Science Tools Do You Need to Know to Get a Materials Science Job?

If you’re navigating the materials science job market, it can feel like the list of tools, techniques and platforms you should learn grows every week. One job advert mentions electron microscopy, another mentions X-ray diffraction, yet another wants experience with thermal analysis, spectroscopy, simulation software, statistical packages, manufacturing QA systems and more. With so many specialised methods and instruments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed — and to start thinking you need to know everything just to be considered. Here’s the honest truth most materials science hiring managers won’t tell you directly: 👉 They don’t hire you because you know every piece of equipment or software. They hire you because you can use the tools you do know to answer real questions, make reliable measurements and communicate results clearly. Tools are essential — no question — but they are secondary to problem-solving ability, scientific reasoning and experimental rigour. So the real question is: how many materials science tools do you actually need to know to get a job? The precise number depends on the role you want, but for most job seekers the answer is far fewer than you think. This article breaks down what employers really value, which tools are core, which are role-specific, and how to focus your learning so your CV and interviews stand out for the right reasons.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Materials Science Job Applications (UK Guide)

Materials science is a broad, interdisciplinary field that spans academia, industry, research, engineering and manufacturing. Whether you’re applying for roles in R&D, process development, quality assurance, failure analysis, nanomaterials or product scale-up, hiring managers make key decisions within the first few seconds of scanning your application. In competitive job markets, simply listing skills or qualifications isn’t enough. Hiring managers are looking for signals of relevance, technical depth, problem-solving capability and real-world impact — and they expect those signals to be clear right from the top of your CV or portfolio. This guide breaks down exactly what hiring managers typically look for first in materials science applications, why they look for it, and how you can optimise your CV, cover letter and portfolio so your application stands out and gets past the first filter.