Manufacturing Engineer - Heavy Fabrication

Northwest UK | £50,000 | Permanent

A long-established defence engineering specialist is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to join its Northwest Engineering Centre of Excellence. You'll be supporting fabrication and heavy manufacturing operations, driving process improvement, build quality, and production efficiency across large-scale welded and fabricated assemblies for military applications.

What you'll be doing:

Optimising and standardising manufacturing processes for complex welded and fabricated assemblies

Identifying opportunities to reduce waste, improve cycle times, and enhance tooling and fixture effectiveness

Analysing quality trends and driving corrective and preventive actions

Developing and managing structured improvement plans with measurable outcomes

Leading cross-functional teams to embed lean practices and improve cost and delivery performance

Supporting NPI activity with a focus on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) in fabrication and welding

Promoting continuous improvement using structured problem-solving tools including 8D and CAPA

Ensuring compliance with EHS, manufacturing, and quality standards across fabrication processes

Implementing containment and long-term corrective actions for process deviations

What you need:

HND, Higher/Advanced Apprenticeship, or Degree in Manufacturing or Mechanical Engineering

Proven manufacturing engineering background in a technical, industrial, or heavy fabrication environment

Experience with large-scale fabrications, welding processes, or heavy manufacturing flows

Practical knowledge of lean tools and continuous improvement methodologies

Strong problem-solving skills with a hands-on, shop-floor-led approach

Clear communicator able to work across operational and engineering teams

SAP or ERP systems experience advantageous (training available)

What's on offer:

£50,000 per annum

4% employee / 7% employer pension contribution

Half-day Fridays

Life assurance and enhanced sick pay (increasing with service)

Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing initiatives

Long service awards and additional holidays

Cycle-to-work scheme, on-site parking, and EV charging

Modern, collaborative working environment

This is a permanent position with a respected name in defence engineering, delivering highly engineered mechanical and structural systems for demanding military programmes.

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