Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Templecombe, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

At Thales Underwater Systems, our purpose is to be the leading provider of underwater sensors and decision superiority, helping navies across the world keep our friends, families and all of us safe. We cover four sectors: Mine Counter Measures, Anti-Submarine warfare, Services and Future Capabilities.

We’re delighted to offer an opportunity for a Manufacturing Engineer to join our Towed Array manufacturing unit at Thales Templecombe. In this role, you’ll support the manufacture and repair of a critical sonar system used by the Royal Navy and allied navies worldwide. This is a hands-on manufacturing engineering role within a complex electro-mechanical environment. You’ll work closely with Manufacturing Technicians, Quality and Engineering colleagues, contributing thoughtful, practical support on the shop floor while helping to strengthen and improve our manufacturing processes over time.

Day to day tasks:

• Supporting manufacturing operations through clear process definition, optimisation and problem-solving
• Defining and implementing manufacturing processes, tooling and user-friendly documentation
• Identifying opportunities for capital equipment investment and supporting financial assessments such as ROI and cost–benefit analysis
• Contributing ideas that improve workflows, reduce costs and encourage manufacturing innovation
• Ensuring lessons learned from the production line are captured and shared to support future product introductions

About You

We’re looking for a motivated and collaborative Manufacturing Engineer who enjoys working in a practical manufacturing environment and is keen to continue developing their skills within a structured and supportive team. Ideally, you’ll bring:

• Exposure to production activities such as machining, mechanical or electronic assembly, or test
• An understanding of continuous improvement and lean manufacturing principles
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to document processes clearly and accessibly
• An HNC (or equivalent) in an engineering discipline, or relevant experience in a related engineering field

This role is well suited to someone early to mid-career, who is looking to build confidence, capability and experience as a Manufacturing Engineer within a world-class defence environment where learning, teamwork and development are genuinely valued.

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held; however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a non-ITAR country may be considered. To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring.