Safran Aerosystems Services UK Managing Director

Managing Director – Safran Aerosystems Services UK (MRO Facility)

📍 Location: Braintree, Essex, United Kingdom | 👥 Team Size: Around 90 Employees

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for operational excellence and innovation in aerospace? Safran Aerosystems Services UK is looking for a Managing Director to lead our UK-based MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility. This is a unique opportunity to take full ownership of a legal entity and drive its performance, growth, and customer satisfaction.

Reporting directly to the EMEA Region General Manager, you will oversee all aspects of the site’s operations, leading a team of around 90 employees and representing Safran Aerosystems in the UK.

Your Missions and Objectives:

As Managing Director, you will be accountable for:

• Ensuring the safety of Safran Aerosystems employees and products.
• Guaranteeing quality and compliance with airworthiness regulations (e.g., Part 145).
• Achieving industrial and financial performance site targets.
• Representing Safran Aerosystems to customers and stakeholders in the region.
• Driving business development in the UK and Northern Europe.
• Leading site operations through structured processes (S&OP, performance reviews, QRQC, etc.).

Your Main Activities:

In close collaboration with central support functions—including HR, Finance, Quality, Sales, Customer Support, and Operations—and in alignment with Safran Aerosystems and Safran Group processes, you will lead our UK aftermarket site, driving the following key activities:

– Lead the Site

• Build the site vision and strategy, flow down it into actual operational and financial objectives
• Identify and lead necessary changes within the site, organization and teams
• Ensure regular and good communication within your site through routines at every levels
• Promote Safran Together leadership model
• Own the P&L on all its aspects and report to the Board of Directors

– Comply With Safety, Quality & Airworthiness Standards

• Ensure Safety of the product and the employees
• Ensure your site is compliant with Airworthiness authorities requirements (Part 145)
• Deploy Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) culture and standards
• Ensure compliance with Safran standards (ethics,…) and any legal and fiscal requirements applicable to the company

– Lead MRO Industrial Operations

• Run S&OP process and reviews to take relevant industrial decisions and actions to ensure future performances and profitability
• Ensure production activity performances : Backlog level, Shop Processing Time, Productivity & Efficiency,…
• Ensure supply chain activity performances : Logistics, Warehouse, Procurement, Scheduling,…
• Deploy Operational Excellence initiatives through methodologies (One Safran, Kaizen, …) to improve industrial performances for the benefit of site Customers

– Develop Customer Satisfaction and Business Profitability

• Strengthen the relationship with existing Customers and improve their satisfaction to secure existing business in both Spares and MRO activities
• Develop new businesses within your area to increase profitability

Additional Responsibilities:

– Financial Management and Cost Optimization:

You will manage the site's budget, ensure cost optimization, and maintain the profitability of operations.

This involves:

• Managing expenses.
• Improving processes to reduce production costs.
• Monitoring the site's financial performance.
• You will analyse the site's financial results and prepare financial reviews.
• You will establish and maintain the budget and have P&L accountability for the business unit.

– Business Development:

You will participate in global Sales and marketing initiatives, interfacing with Sales and Marketing corporate Department, to fulfil strategic planning objectives and participate to identify new business opportunities.

– Stakeholder Relations:

You will maintain good relations with various stakeholders involved in managing the site, whether they are suppliers, customers, shareholders, or local authorities. You are responsible for representing the company to external stakeholders.

Knowledge and Skills Required:

Technical Skills:

• Strong customer-first mindset and commitment culture.
• In-depth knowledge of aerospace airworthiness regulations (Part 145, Part 21).
• Strong industrial background in production and supply chain with ERP/MRP understanding
• Continuous improvement spirit with background in LEAN methodologies (Kaizen, DMAIC, etc.).
• Strong understanding of the financial management of a legal entity (P&L) and regulatory rules.

Leadership & Management:

• Proven team leadership and collaborative spirit.
• Autonomy, rigour, exemplarity, synthetic.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to perform under pressure and manage complexity.
• Fluent in English.

About Safran Group

Safran Group is an international high-technology group which operates in the aviation, defense and space markets. Our core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. The Safran Aerosystems division contributes to this by designing high-tech solutions that optimise aircraft performance and flight safety and is a world leader in emergency evacuation systems and crew oxygen systems.

About Safran Aerosystems Services UK – Keeping Flights Safe

Here at Safran Aerosystems Services UK, flight safety is our area of expertise. We ensure that flights are safe by providing essential maintenance and repair activities for life saving evacuation equipment, oxygen systems and in-cabin equipment for customers across the aviation industry. You’ll join a team of hard-working individuals who put safety at the forefront of everything they do.

Get Involved – Be Part of Our Culture

At Safran Aerosystems Services UK, we believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and that a thriving workplace is built on community, inclusion, and wellbeing.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to contribute. Whether you're on the shop floor, in the office, or leading a team, your ideas and experiences help shape our success.

At our Braintree site, employees can engage with a variety of initiatives and groups, including:

• Women at Safran
• Mental Health Champions
• Wellbeing at Work Committee
• Local charity partnerships

Our Wellbeing Programme places employee health at the core of our operations, integrating it into everything we do. We also offer enhanced family-friendly policies, reinforcing our commitment to a workplace that is both diverse and inclusive.