Engineering Manager in Burnley

We are seeking an Engineering Manager for our client based in Lancashire, to lead a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for delivering high-quality structural components for major aerospace manufacturers worldwide.

The role ensures excellence across bid development, NPI, NPD, manufacturing engineering, and technology onboarding, while fostering a high-performance culture and maintaining the highest standards of compliance, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Engineering Leadership & Delivery
• Oversee the delivery of global product engineering activities to meet customer requirements, ensuring productivity, quality, and technical excellence.
• Manage day-to-day tasking, resource allocation, and prioritisation of the wider team in collaboration with project and programme managers.
• Evaluate engineering requirements for new projects, defining technical approaches and identifying needs for new equipment, processes or capabilities.
• Ensure robust configuration control and disciplined data management across all engineering processes.
• Work closely with the Engineering Product Manager to develop and maintain technical strategies, processes, specifications, and documentation.
• Own and manage engineering requirements for our ERP system (Odoo based) from a BoM and product master data perspective.
• People Management & Team Development
• Lead, motivate, and develop the engineering team to create an engaged, empowered, and high-performing workforce.
• Conduct regular staff appraisals, set meaningful objectives, and maintain personal development plans for all permanent engineering staff.
• Determine resource and capacity requirements, including budget planning and recruitment needs.
• Allocate engineering resource to support projects within the business, such as estimating, project management, processed material kit development, Continues Improvement, NPI.
• Governance, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
• Ensure full compliance with ISO, NADCAP, AS9100, and customer-specific accreditation requirements.
• Capture, standardise, and deploy best practices across the department to drive consistency and efficiency.
• Identify, lead, and support continuous improvement initiatives across engineering processes, tools, and workflows.
• Analyse technology trends, resource needs, and market demand to assess project feasibility and inform future capability development.
• Customer & Cross-Functional Engagement
• Provide technical input during customer meetings, supporting bids, reviews, and ongoing programme discussions.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Programmes, and other departments to ensure alignment with company performance objectives.
• Represent engineering impacts and trade-offs clearly when priorities shift or customer requirements evolve.
• Performance Management & Reporting
• Establish and monitor engineering team KPIs, reporting performance and progress to the executive and management teams.
• Ensure engineering output supports broader business goals, enabling effective monitoring of key company performance parameters.
• Undertake additional duties as required by the Chief Operations Officer.

Requirements

Essential

• Time-served Engineering Apprenticeship and/or degree qualification in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Extensive experience within composites manufacturing, with strong technical understanding of composite processing, composite engineering and computer aided manufacturing practices, processes, and procedures.
• Strong knowledge of configuration control principles and their application as a core engineering discipline.
• Proven experience as a communicator, people manager and team leader, with the ability to develop, motivate, and guide engineering professionals.
• High level of competence across the Microsoft Office suite.
• Hands-on experience using and developing MRP/ERP systems to support engineering and manufacturing workflows.

Desirable

• Experience working within the aerospace sector.
• Background in a corporate or global organisation with complex stakeholder environments.
• Knowledge of aircraft components, specifications, and industry standards.
• Demonstrable success in project management, including delivery of cross-functional engineering initiatives on time and on budget.
• Composites knowledge and experience, including raw materials.

Personal Attributes

• Able to perform effectively under pressure, managing deadlines and priorities with minimal supervision.
• Self-motivated team player with a proactive and collaborative approach.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to engineering excellence and efficiency.
• Strong communication skills, capable of engaging confidently from shop floor to boardroom.
• Highly organised planner with the ability to manage multiple work-streams simultaneously.
• Commercially astute and data driven, with an understanding of how engineering decisions impact business performance.
• Inspirational leader who can energise, empower, and motivate teams to achieve high performance.

Performance Indicators

• Successful approval and delivery of the company’s strategy roadmap.
• Successful, demonstrable and quantifiable implementation of new technologies improving efficiency, quality, or capability.
• Publication and recognition of technical white papers showcasing the aerospace composites industry thought leadership.
• Demonstrable progress in the engineering skills matrix and overall technical capability of the team.
• Positive and direct technical impact on new business wins, customer satisfaction, and innovation outcomes.

Benefits

• Salary ranging from £60,000 – £65,000, depending on experience and skillset.
• £5,000 car allowance.
• Private medical insurance and critical illness cover.
• Pension scheme – 5% employee contribution / 3% employer contribution.
• 33 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays.
• Christmas shutdown included within annual leave entitlement.
• Employee engagement initiatives.
• On-site parking.
• Company sick pay scheme.