Production Team Lead (Battery) in Bristol

Our Mission At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The VX4, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take‑off and landing), ‘zero emissions’ aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky. We won’t realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to ‘redefine’ aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals of having the VX4 in service by 2030.

What to expect As the Battery Build Production Leader, you will be responsible for overseeing the execution and continuous improvement of battery module and pack assembly processes within Vertical Aerospace’s advanced manufacturing environment. While this role does not include direct line management, you will lead through influence driving operational excellence, ensuring safety and quality standards, and collaborating across engineering, quality, and supply chain teams to meet production targets.

What you’ll do:

• Lead day‑to‑day operations of the battery production area, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets are met.
• Take a hands‑on approach to problem‑solving, process validation, and support actively engaging with technicians and engineers on the shop floor.
• Oversee execution of build plans, work instructions, and quality control processes for prototype and production battery systems.
• Collaborate with engineering, procurement, and quality teams to ensure smooth transition from R&D to scalable manufacturing.
• Support equipment specification, purchasing, and commissioning—including FAT/SAT and integration into production.
• Manage CAPEX and OPEX budgets for battery production infrastructure and tooling.
• Drive process optimisation through PFMEA, root cause analysis, and lean manufacturing principles.
• Ensure compliance with AS9100 and other relevant aerospace standards.
• Lead development builds to validate manufacturing processes and gather data for continuous improvement.
• Own and optimise battery build processes, including cell preparation, module assembly, and pack integration.
• Identify and implement lean manufacturing initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance safety.
• Monitor and report key production metrics (OEE, yield, cycle time).
• Use digital tools to track build progress and escalate issues proactively.

What you’ll bring:

• Proven experience in battery manufacturing, aerospace, or high‑performance automotive environments.
• Strong leadership background with a track record of scaling up production and driving cultural change.
• AS9100 knowledge or Lead Auditor certification preferred.
• Experience managing CAPEX/OPEX budgets and equipment procurement.
• Familiarity with lean tools (5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping).
• Excellent communication and coordination skills, with the ability to lead without formal authority.
• Comfortable working in a hands‑on, shop‑floor‑focused leadership role.

What can you expect from us? We’re on a mission. Where others see limits, we see opportunity, and we work at pace. Working at Vertical isn’t your average role but for those seeking a challenge, a flexible, supportive organisation and an incredible team; working here is an opportunity to do the best work of your career. Our approach promotes ingenuity and courage, while our environment builds success through diligence in safety and being open in the way we work. The only way we’re going to assure the next chapter of aviation history is by working as a team, relentlessly, towards our goal.

Our benefits: Our people matter – we’re not going anywhere without them. Which is why our company benefits go beyond the essentials.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday
• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)
• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership
• Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits
• Award‑winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)
• Company performance based bonus – rewarding company and individual performance
• Company Share Scheme – open to every Vertical employee
• Company Pension Scheme – 5% and we match it
• Breakfast on us, every day

Disclaimer Statement: We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.