Senior Manufacturing Engineer – New Product Introduction

Job Title: Senior Manufacturing Engineer – New Product Introduction

Location: Rochester; Kent: Onsite

Salary: £45,000-£50,000 depending on experience

Who we are:

Join BAE Systems and you’ll be part of something bigger. As a valued member of our global colleague network, you’ll bring your unique skills and perspectives to help pioneer progress and protect what matters most. You’ll be trusted to play your part in delivering the advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions of tomorrow, shaping a safer future, for all of us.

From the depths of the ocean, to the far reaches of space, there’s no limit to where a career at BAE Systems could take you.

Job Description:

As a Manufacturing Engineer within our New Product Introduction (NPI) team, you will play a key role in bringing world‑class technologies to life—transforming innovative designs into robust, cost‑effective, and highly manufacturable products. Acting as a primary Operations interface to Engineering, you will ensure Design for X (DFX) and APQP principles are embedded from the earliest stages of development, enabling a smooth and efficient transition from concept through to full‑rate production.

This is a high‑impact role at the centre of our product development lifecycle, offering the opportunity to influence design decisions early, shape manufacturing strategy, and help deliver cutting‑edge solutions to customers across the aerospace and maritime sector.e and within budget with minimum management oversight, and be able to present the design detail directly to our high profile customers.

Core duties:

• Partnering closely with Engineering teams to review, challenge, and influence designs, ensuring they meet production cost targets and driving improvements through APQP methodology
• Delivering NPI outputs in line with an Operations project plan, ensuring manufacturing readiness aligns with programme milestones from Bid and Development through Qualification and Initial Production
• Leading producibility gate reviews and championing Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) in engineering gate reviews
• Leveraging your own experience and that of subject matter experts to define and manage work packages that improve cost, manufacturability, and process robustness
• Supporting the development of production processes, tooling, and manufacturing instructions for new products. Providing hands‑on support during prototype builds and capturing lessons learned to drive future improvements
• Actively contributing to continuous improvement initiatives, driving gains in productivity, repeatability, quality, and operational efficiency

Essential Skills:

• Degree‑level qualification or equivalent experience in an engineering discipline
• Proven involvement in NPI / industrialisation, manufacturing readiness, or early‑phase manufacturing definition
• Experience in creating and delivering compliant manufacturing instructions for electro‑mechanical products
• Working knowledge of 3D CAD tools (e.g. Creo, SolidWorks, CATIA)

The New Product Introduction (NPI) Team:

As a Manufacturing Engineer within our New Product Introduction (NPI) team, you’ll play a pivotal role in turning innovative designs into robust, cost‑effective and highly manufacturable products.

This is a high‑profile role at the heart of the product development lifecycle, offering the opportunity to influence design decisions early, shape manufacturing strategy and help deliver cutting‑edge solutions to customers across the aerospace and maritime sectors.

Why BAE Systems?

Here you’ll build a career with purpose and limitless possibilities. With lifelong learning and meaningful work, this is a place where you can grow your career with confidence and be empowered to be your best. You’ll be recognised for your contribution and enjoy rewards tailored to what’s most important to you and your family, support for your financial and personal wellbeing, as well as a balanced lifestyle. In an environment embracing sustainable ways of working and with a strong sense of shared purpose, our supportive culture is a place you can feel you belong and proud of the difference you make.

A place where everyone can thrive:

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We know that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences strengthens our teams and is vital to the work we do.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 15th May 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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