Lead Manufacturing Engineer Aerospace & Defence

Role Purpose To lead the development, industrialization, optimization, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes for aerospace and defence products. The role will provide technical leadership to the manufacturing engineering team and ensure robust, scalable, cost-effective, and quality-driven production processes.

The Lead Manufacturing Engineer will act as a key interface between Design Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, PPC, Procurement, and Program Management, driving products from NPI/prototype stages through stable serial production while ensuring compliance with applicable aerospace quality systems, customer requirements, and manufacturing standards.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

- B.E. / B.Tech in Mechanical, Aeronautical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Electrical, Electronics Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- Relevant certifications in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Manufacturing Engineering, or Quality Management will be an added advantage.

Experience

- 7-12 years of relevant manufacturing/manufacturing engineering experience, preferably within Aerospace, Defence, Precision Engineering, or other high-reliability manufacturing environments.
- Robust hands-on experience in one or more manufacturing areas such as:

- CNC machining

- Sheet metal fabrication

- Precision assembly

- Composite manufacturing

- Heat treatment
- Surface treatment / special processes
- Demonstrated experience in leading manufacturing engineering activities, troubleshooting complex production issues, process industrialization, and continuous improvement projects.
- Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and transition from prototype/development to serial production.

Key Responsibilities 1. Manufacturing Engineering Leadership

- Lead and guide the Manufacturing Engineering team in developing robust and efficient production processes.
- Provide technical direction for manufacturing methods, process selection, tooling, fixtures, work instructions, and production readiness.
- Review and approve manufacturing process documentation before production implementation.
- Mentor engineers and support capability development within the manufacturing engineering function.
- Establish manufacturing engineering priorities in alignment with production and program requirements.

2. Process Design & Industrialization

- Lead the development and industrialization of manufacturing processes based on engineering drawings, specifications, customer requirements, and quality standards.
- Determine optimal manufacturing methods including CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, composites, assembly, and special processes.

- Develop and review

- Process flow diagrams

- Manufacturing process plans

- Work instructions

- SOPs

- Routing and operation sequences

- Process control requirements
- Ensure processes are capable of consistently achieving required quality, cost, delivery, and productivity targets.

3. New Product Introduction (NPI)

- Lead manufacturing engineering activities for NPI and product industrialization programs.




- Conduct manufacturability reviews and provide Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) recommendations.
- Identify manufacturing risks during product development and establish appropriate mitigation plans.
- Coordinate prototype, pilot, and initial production builds.
- Drive production readiness from prototype stage through stable serial production.
- Ensure manufacturing documentation, tooling, resources, and process controls are established before production launch.

4. Tooling, Jigs & Fixtures

- Define requirements for production tooling, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and other manufacturing aids.
- Lead design reviews and technical evaluation of tooling and fixtures.
- Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors for tooling development and fabrication.
- Ensure tooling and fixtures are properly validated before release for production.
- Identify opportunities for poka-yoke / mistake-proofing and manufacturing automation.

5. Production Support & Technical Problem Solving

- Provide leadership in resolving critical manufacturing and production issues.
- Lead structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for manufacturing defects, process failures, and recurring production problems.
- Drive effective Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) and verify their effectiveness.
- Support production teams in resolving process, tooling, equipment, material, and quality-related issues.
- Reduce recurring production problems through permanent corrective actions and process standardization.

6. Quality & Regulatory Compliance

- Ensure manufacturing processes are aligned with applicable AS9100, NADCAP, ISO 9001, customer-specific, and internal quality requirements.
- Support First Article Inspection (FAI), PPAP/customer submissions, process qualifications, and manufacturing validation activities as applicable.
- Support internal, customer, certification, and regulatory audits.
- Ensure appropriate process documentation and manufacturing records are maintained for product and process traceability.
- Collaborate with Quality Engineering to reduce non-conformances and establish sustainable corrective actions.

7. Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

- Lead Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, Six Sigma, and productivity improvement initiatives.
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve:

- Cycle time

- Process yield

- Productivity

- Overall equipment utilization

- Manufacturing cost

- Scrap and rework

- Process capability
- Drive process standardization and implementation of manufacturing best practices.
- Monitor manufacturing performance and initiate improvement projects based on production data and trends.

8. Capacity, Cost & Manufacturing Planning





- Support production capacity planning based on demand and program requirements.
- Identify potential manufacturing bottlenecks and develop capacity improvement plans.
- Support manufacturing cost estimation for new and existing products.
- Identify opportunities for VA/VE, process simplification, automation, and cost reduction.
- Support Make/Buy assessments and technical evaluation of manufacturing suppliers where required.

9. Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Act as the Manufacturing Engineering focal point for assigned programs/product lines.
- Work closely with Design, Production, Quality, PPC, SCM, Procurement, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Program Management.
- Coordinate engineering changes and ensure smooth implementation on the shop floor.
- Participate in technical and program reviews and provide manufacturing status, risks, and recovery plans.
- Support suppliers and subcontractors in resolving manufacturing/process-related concerns when required.

Technical Skills
- Strong knowledge of engineering drawings and GD&T;.
- Knowledge of aerospace/defence materials, manufacturing tolerances, and precision engineering practices.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including machining, fabrication, assembly, composites, and/or special processes.
- Knowledge of RCA, CAPA, PFMEA, Control Plans, process capability, and risk management methodologies.
- Understanding of AS9100, NADCAP and ISO 9001 requirements.
- Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S and Six Sigma methodologies.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems and production planning environments.
- Proficiency or working knowledge of CAD/CAM platforms such as CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Mastercam, or equivalent.
- Ability to interpret manufacturing data and translate it into corrective and improvement actions.

Leadership & Behavioural Competencies

- Strong technical leadership and team mentoring capability.
- Excellent analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
- Ability to make sound engineering decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Strong cross-functional coordination and stakeholder management skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication.
- Strong ownership and accountability for manufacturing deliverables.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and production priorities simultaneously.
- Strong attention to detail with commitment to Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost.
- Ability to influence production and engineering teams without depending solely on authority.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Performance of the Lead Manufacturing Engineer can be measured through:

- First Pass Yield / Process Yield
- Scrap & Rework Reduction
- Manufacturing Defect / Non-Conformance Reduction
- Cycle Time Reduction
- Manufacturing Cost Reduction
- Productivity Improvement
- On-Time Closure of RCA/CAPA Actions
- NPI / Production Readiness Adherence
- On-Time Completion of Manufacturing Engineering Deliverables
- Process Capability Improvement
- Tooling & Fixture Readiness
- Audit Compliance and Closure of Observations
- Reduction of Recurring Manufacturing Issues
- Continuous Improvement / Cost-Saving Project Achievement

📌 Lead Manufacturing Engineer / Process Engineer (Bengaluru)
🏢 Tata Advanced Systems (TASL)
📍 Bengaluru