Manufacturing Composites Engineer

Manufacturing Composites Engineer

Location: London, West Sussex and South Coast minimum 2 days onsite preferred

Type: Permanent

Sector: Defence / Aerospace / UAV

Overview

We are supporting a growing defence engineering business operating in the unmanned systems space, with a particular focus on offensive drone capability. As the business scales from product development into higher-volume delivery, they are looking to appoint a Manufacturing Composites Engineer to help shape and support the move toward a more scalable composites manufacturing operation.

This role is likely to suit someone from an F1, aerospace, motorsport, or advanced composites manufacturing background who can bring practical experience of moving from lower-volume, development-led manufacture into more repeatable and efficient production.

Role purpose

The successful candidate will help define and improve the manufacturing plan for composite products, with a focus on building a clear route to higher-volume production. This will include reviewing current manufacturing methods, workforce and shift planning, production flow, and supplier capability to support ramp-up.

Key responsibilities

Review and develop the manufacturing plan for composite products as the business moves toward higher-volume production

Assess current and future production capacity, including labour, shifts, tooling, and process flow

Support the transition from prototype or lower-rate manufacture into more efficient and repeatable production

Identify manufacturing bottlenecks, process improvements, and opportunities to improve output, quality, and efficiency

Work closely with engineering to ensure products are designed with manufacturability in mind

Help define what the future manufacturing organisation should look like, including headcount, structure, and shift requirements

Support supplier strategy where composite or specialist manufacturing inputs are outsourced

Contribute to the development of a scalable manufacturing model aligned to business growth and customer demand

Work closely with programme, operations, and engineering teams to ensure manufacturing readiness supports delivery

What they are looking for

Strong background in composites manufacturing

Experience in F1, aerospace, motorsport, UAV, or advanced engineering environments

Experience moving from development / prototype manufacture into more production-led environments

Strong understanding of production planning, manufacturing readiness, and process improvement

Able to assess how many people, what shift structure, and what operational model is needed to support production ramp-up

Good understanding of Design for Manufacture (DFM) and how engineering choices affect production outcomes

Comfortable working in a fast-moving, scaling engineering businessDesirable

Experience supporting high-volume or scaled composites production

Exposure to outsourced manufacturing models

Knowledge of aerospace or defence quality standards

Experience in building or improving manufacturing cells, workflows, or production strategiesSummary

This is a strong opportunity for someone who understands composites manufacturing in detail and can help shape the route from specialist product build to scalable production capability