R&D Manufacturing Manager in Solihull

Help shape the next generation of aerospace technology. At Collins Aerospace, we are working at the edge of what is possible in aerospace and defense. Across RTX, 185,000 people are united by one purpose: solving complex challenges, advancing technology, and helping to connect and protect our world.

Within our Electronic Controls and Motor Systems business, we are focused on the technologies that will help power the future of flight, including advanced electric motors, controllers, and high-performance aerospace systems. We are now looking for an R&D Manufacturing Manager to lead a skilled team of Manufacturing Engineers and Technicians across mechanical and electronic build and test activities. This is a key leadership role at the point where innovation becomes reality. You will help take new technologies from demonstrator stage through industrialisation, supporting the transition into New Product Introduction and future production.

As R&D Manufacturing Manager, you will be responsible for leading manufacturing activity across a fast-paced R&D environment, ensuring high-quality products are built, tested, documented, and delivered in line with programme requirements. You will work closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, and external stakeholders to ensure manufacturing capability, capacity, processes, tools, materials, and documentation are aligned to deliver complex aerospace products to demanding timelines. This role would suit someone who enjoys leading people, building structure, improving processes, and working with emerging technologies in a high-precision engineering environment.

What You Will Do

• Lead, develop, and support a team of Manufacturing Engineers and Technicians, ensuring clear resource planning, skills development, performance reviews, and personal development plans are in place.
• Act as the key manufacturing point of contact for internal and external customers, ensuring manufacturing deliverables are understood, planned, communicated, and achieved.
• Ensure manufacturing activities comply with Collins Aerospace corporate and local processes, while representing Manufacturing during internal and third-party audits to support continued AS9100 compliance.
• Ensure the manufacturing area maintains traceable components, calibrated tools, compliant chemicals, and accurate digital build documentation that reflects the physical build.
• Support the team with creation, maintenance, and closure of works orders through SAP, helping to ensure manufacturing activity is visible, controlled, and aligned to programme needs.
• Plan, monitor, and communicate manufacturing capacity and capability across projects, ensuring the business has a clear view of current and future requirements.
• Develop and maintain meaningful KPIs for the Operations area, using data and insight to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Partner with the Supply Chain Manager to support make-versus-buy decisions and ensure manufacturing requirements are considered early and effectively.
• Partner with Engineering to support the successful transition of products from design into manufacture and test, ensuring parts and products are built in line with design data.
• Actively seek out improvement opportunities and lead a culture of continuous improvement across the manufacturing team.

What You Will Bring

• Experience in manufacturing engineering, ideally within aerospace, advanced engineering, high-precision manufacturing, electric motors, controllers, electronics, or a similarly regulated environment.
• People manager skills with ability to support, coach, develop, and motivate a technical team while maintaining focus on quality, delivery, safety, and compliance.
• Excellent attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a busy R&D and programme-led environment.
• Good communication skills with colleagues, senior leaders, customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
• Analytical and numerate, able to produce concise reports, meaningful KPIs, and clear presentations to support business decisions.

Essential Requirements

• Manufacturing Engineering degree or equivalent experience.
• Previous experience in a manufacturing engineering, operations, or technical leadership role.
• Strong people management skills, with ability to develop and support a technical team.
• Experience managing processes, projects, and deliverables within a technical or manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication skills, ability to work effectively with Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, and customers.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive mindset with focus on continuous improvement.
• Typically requires a university degree or equivalent experience with significant relevant experience in a technical, engineering, or manufacturing environment.

Preferred Experience

• AS9100 experience.
• SAP experience.
• Experience working with electric motors, controllers, electronics, or ESD-controlled environments.
• Previous management experience within aerospace or another high-precision engineering environment.
• Experience supporting product industrialisation, NPI, or transition from design into manufacturing.
• Strong interest in new technologies, innovation, and improved ways of working.

What we can offer you

• Competitive salary.
• Flexible working, hybrid working, and a family friendly approach.
• Outstanding state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories centrally located and easily accessible.
• Life insurance.
• Excellent corporate pension plan with a 2:1 matched contribution up to 10%.
• Private Health Insurance.
• 25 days annual leave plus ability to buy/sell up to 5 days.
• Career development.
• Half day working on Fridays.
• And so much more.

Working arrangement

This role requires regular on-site working, with a minimum of four days per week on site due to the hands-on nature of the manufacturing, build, test, and team leadership activities involved.

Why join us

This is a rare opportunity to step into a role where manufacturing leadership, innovation, and future aerospace technology come together. You will be joining a team working on advanced electric motor and controller technologies, helping to turn engineering ideas into real, buildable, testable, and scalable aerospace products. At Collins Aerospace, you will have the opportunity to lead talented people, influence how new technologies are industrialised, and contribute to programmes that support the future of flight. If you are a manufacturing leader who thrives in technical environments, enjoys developing people, and wants to be part of aerospace innovation from the inside out, we would love to hear from you.

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment. All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.