Lead NPI Engineer at Beagle Aircraft, Christchurch, Dorset

At Beagle Aircraft, we manufacture precision-engineered components and assemblies for leading aerospace programmes.

We're looking for an experienced Lead NPI Engineer to join our Engineering team in Christchurch and take a leading role in bringing new products and programmes successfully into manufacture.

Reporting to the Head of Engineering, you'll lead New Product Introduction (NPI) activity from initial planning through industrialisation, First Article and production readiness.

This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who understands how to take complex aerospace products from design into a robust, repeatable and efficient manufacturing process.

The Role

You'll work closely with Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to ensure new products are introduced effectively and manufacturing processes are capable of meeting quality, cost and delivery requirements.

You'll provide technical leadership throughout the NPI process, developing manufacturing methods, resolving technical challenges and ensuring products are ready for successful production.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary

• Company pension

• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

• Healthcare benefits

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Holiday Purchase Scheme

• Birthday Leave

• Long service awards

• career development opportunities

• Free onsite parking and

• Early finish Friday

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead NPI and industrialisation projects from initial planning through to production.

• Develop manufacturing processes, routings and work instructions for new products.

• Support and coordinate First Article builds and manufacturing readiness activities.

• Develop tooling, fixtures and inspection requirements to support production.

• Apply Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFM/DFA) principles to improve manufacturability.

• Work cross-functionally to identify and resolve technical and manufacturing issues during NPI.

• Support RFQs and estimating activities with manufacturing methods, tooling and technical input.

• Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes, quality, cost and delivery.

About You

We're looking for an experienced Manufacturing/NPI Engineer who can combine strong technical knowledge with practical manufacturing experience.

You'll ideally have:

• Strong experience within NPI, industrialisation or Manufacturing Engineering in aerospace or a similarly regulated manufacturing environment.

• Experience taking products from design through manufacturing readiness and into production.

• Practical knowledge of manufacturing processes, ideally including sheet metal, metallic structures, welding and fabrication.

• Experience developing manufacturing methods, routings, tooling and production documentation.

• Strong technical problem-solving and continuous improvement capability.

• HNC/HND, degree or equivalent practical experience within an Engineering discipline.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to work across Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain and Commercial teams.

• Experience leading NPI activity and coordinating multiple stakeholders would be highly advantageous.

Why Join Beagle Aircraft?

This is an opportunity to take a leading role in introducing new aerospace products and programmes into manufacture.

You'll be involved from the early stages of a programme through to successful production, giving you the opportunity to influence manufacturing methods, tooling, processes and production readiness rather than simply supporting products once they are already established.

If you're currently working as a Lead NPI Engineer, Senior NPI Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer or Industrialisation Engineer and are looking for your next opportunity within aerospace manufacturing, we'd like to hear from you.