Chief Manufacturing Engineer

About the role

The Chief Manufacturing Engineer will lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of complex aerospace manufacturing systems. This senior position bridges advanced engineering with large‑scale industrial execution, ensuring new products are industrialized efficiently and transferred across global sites.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and approve manufacturing system definitions and performance targets during program launch, ensuring technical feasibility, cost alignment, and risk identification.
• Oversee New Product Introduction (NPI), work transfers, and major modification programs from launch through steady‑state production, meeting technical, cost, schedule, and regulatory requirements.
• Own non‑recurring engineering (NRE) estimates, planning, budgeting, and execution of manufacturing engineering deliverables.
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary manufacturing engineering teams, providing technical direction and workload prioritization.
• Monitor system performance through KPIs and industrial reviews, driving corrective actions to maintain productivity and quality.
• Ensure compliance with Zero Defect Manufacturing and APQP (AS9145) standards, fostering a quality‑first mindset.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams, customers, and suppliers.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in manufacturing engineering within complex, regulated environments, preferably aerospace.
• Proven leadership of large‑scale technical programs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering or equivalent.
• 8+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, including exposure to ISO9000 or AS9100 quality systems.
• Demonstrated success in NPI and industrialization through structured lifecycle gate processes.

Required skills

• ISO9000 / AS9100 quality systems
• APQP (AS9145) methodology
• Zero Defect Manufacturing principles
• New Product Introduction (NPI) processes
• Non‑recurring engineering (NRE) estimation
• KPI analysis and performance monitoring
• Manufacturing system design and industrialization