Manufacturing Engineer
Ready to take your career stratospheric?
AALTO is a global leader in the stratosphere. We design, manufacture and offer Earth observation and connectivity services using our record-breaking Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) solar-electric unmanned aircraft, capable of staying in the stratosphere for days, weeks, and months at a time.
Powered entirely by the sun, Zephyr operates above 60,000 feet, high above conventional air traffic. As a new layer in Earth observation and connectivity ecosystems, Zephyr is positioned between satellites and more conventional terrestrial assets – filling in the operational gap between the two layers, while remaining a complementary solution capable of working in a system of systems.
Services delivered with Zephyr can empower government and commercial customers with capabilities to see and sense or connect from the stratosphere – making a meaningful impact on the ground, from the skies.
Join #TeamAALTO as we create this new, up-and-coming frontier, and be a part of a highly-skilled, innovative and passionate group of people working together to make sure “the future is stratospheric.”
Job Summary
We are looking for a new Manufacturing Engineering (ME) for our project team based in Farnborough, Hampshire, UK. The scope of this role is to deliver ME solutions to the new production system which delivers our HAPS Aircraft and Ground Support Equipment in line with business requirements as we move from a R&D project into serial production.
Key Responsibilities
As a key member of the Manufacturing Engineering Team, your main tasks and
responsibilities will be to provide hands-on enablement of design intent into a
production system for HAPS UAV’s platforms to safety, quality, cost and time through:
- Design and qualification of a HAPS production system using Manufacturing
- System Engineering tools and processes. (Cellular production approach, Lean
- Process flow, line balancing, capital investment items, factory layout, simulation)
- Delivery of shop floor requirements to the HAPS Facilities Management team
- Create / change MRP system shop floor routings / job card definitions / shop floor standard operating instructions (SOI’s) / quality care cards
- Technical dossiers and support to procurement activities, supply chain monitoring and Make v Buy decisions
- Technical problem solving and support to production and supply chain
- Application of APQP as appropriate
- Perform Design For Manufacture (DFM) / Design To Cost (DTC) studies and provide input to design teams
- Liaison with MGSE / Jig & Tools (Design, Manufacture, Calibration & Maintenance)
You will also be responsible for:
- Deriving and enabling production KPI’s in conjunction with operations teams
- Continuous Improvement of the production system in line with business targets
- Enable Health and Safety target achievement
- Enablement of the “Right First Time” Quality culture with associated business systems and feedback loops
Experience and Qualifications
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following:
- Experience within the Aerospace and/or Space industry
- Experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Avionics
- Assembly, Integration, and Test
- Experience creating assembly process instructions
- Experience creating ERP routings
- Experience using RCCA methodology
- Ability to work independently and within a team
- Excellent communication skills
- English to negotiation level
The candidate will ideally have experience with the following:
- Experience with creating/editing BoMs
- Experience using PLM and ERP tools (e.g. Arena and Microsoft Dynamics 365)
- Experience with the creation of test plans in an Avionics environment
- Experience working in a highly regulated industry (CAA; Part G; Part J; etc)
In addition to salary, we offer:
Rewarding Excellence: Benefit from our short-term incentive plan that rewards your hard work and dedication.
Enjoy Your Time Off: Benefit from 25 days of holiday to relax and recharge.
Stay Healthy: We’ve got your health covered with private medical insurance, along with dental and optical cash back.
Secure Your Future: Take advantage of our personal pension plan to ensure a comfortable retirement.
Peace of Mind: Our income protection and life assurance schemes are there to support you when you need it most.
We Care About You: Our employee assistance programme is always available to provide the support you need.
Perks Galore: Enjoy a range of employee discounts via Perkbox, because you deserve a treat!
#LI-AB1
- Department
- Production Build
- Locations
- Farnborough

About AALTO
At AALTO, we take pride in building and offering an exceptional work environment that values your well-being and rewards your dedication. We believe in recognising your hard work and commitment, which is why we provide a fantastic bonus scheme that rewards your contributions. Additionally, we understand the importance of financial security and support your future with a competitive pension plan. When you join us, you become part of a workplace that not only encourages your professional growth but also cares about your personal fulfilment and financial stability.
AALTO is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.
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