Senior​/Principal Manufacturing Engineer

Principal Engineer

Salary Range: £45,500 – 58,000

We are seeking a Senior/Principal Manufacturing Engineer in the Manufacturing Engineering function to develop, improve and support the operations manufacturing processes and equipment enabling world‑class production of Leonardo products. The role is Delivery (Sustaining) focused and involves planning and delivering technical solutions across medium‑term horizons, providing complex technical advice to internal and external customers, and developing others.

The role is based in Edinburgh but may be a mix of home‑based and on‑site work.

• Develop manufacturing processes by studying product requirements; researching, designing, modifying, and testing manufacturing methods and equipment; understanding feedback from Leonardo operators, conferring with equipment vendors or external suppliers.
• Prepare for and organise Manufacturing Maturity Reviews, maintain governance through the Lifecycle Management process, and create/ contribute/ review and/or lead Manufacturing Plans.
• Review production schedules, labour and material costs, and estimate future requirements.
• Prepare product and process reports by collecting, analysing, and summarising information and trends.
• Resolve complex product and/or production issues & constraints, releasing bottlenecks on the shop floor and reacting efficiently to escalation from manufacturing teams.
• Improve manufacturing efficiency by capacity analysis, simulation planning workflow, space requirements, and equipment layout.
• Review manufacturing documentation, including input to process‑specific risk assessments, COSHH data, technical reports, and specifications.
• Assure product and process quality by designing methods; validating and verifying process capabilities; establishing standards; confirming manufacturing processes.
• Contribute to failure investigations utilising known problem‑solving techniques (e.g., 8D).
• Assure manufacturing data such as routings, production plans, control plans and electronic work instructions.
• Identify continuous improvement activities to develop skills and competencies within Manufacturing Engineering.
• Complete improvement and development projects by training and interacting with the Organisation’s manufacturing engineer community.
• Promote a culture of best‑practice sharing and knowledge exploitation.
• Provide domain experience in support of customer and user engagement and product road‑maps.
• Maintain product and company reputation by complying with government regulations.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we value a good attitude and willingness to learn even if you may not have experience in all areas.

This role is subject to a pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Additional Personnel Security Controls may apply, including National Security Vetting (NSV) and eligibility for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance, visit https //

• Generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Benefit from an award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Free access to mental health support, financial advice and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• Eligible for a bonus scheme at management level and below.
• Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and Linked In Learning.
• Financial reward through the referral programme.
• Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part‑time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquarters are in Italy; we employ over 53,000 people worldwide, 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. We are committed to an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. If you have accessibility requirements, please let us know.

Primary

Location:

GB – Edinburgh

Contract Type:
Employee, Permanent

Hybrid Working:
Onsite