Senior New Product Introduction Manager

Overview

In this role you will lead the industrialisation of complex electronic products for a defence/aerospace-focused organisation. You will bridge R&D and full-scale manufacturing, guiding cross-functional teams through NPI from concept to production handover. You will drive risk management, design-for-excellence, and gate reviews to ensure robust, scalable solutions. This is a high-impact, collaborative leadership role in a technically demanding environment with a strong emphasis on process maturity and regulatory compliance.

Pay / Benefits

• competitive salary
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• generous pension contribution
• discretionary bonus scheme
• life assurance (6x salary)
• flexible benefits package

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional team of manufacturing and process engineers from concept to production handover
• Drive stage-gate processes (AS9145, APQP) from bid to production readiness
• Champion DfM, DfT, and DfC to ensure manufacturable and cost-effective solutions
• Manage Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRL) and conduct FMEA/PFMEA
• Collaborate with procurement and external suppliers to secure component availability
• Establish baselines for cost, schedule, and scope; report to senior stakeholders
• Oversee manufacturing plans, tooling, fixtures, and work instructions
• Coordinate with R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations for successful launches
• Lead MRL assessments and readiness plans for production capability
• Chair NPI Gate Reviews, Design Reviews, and Production Readiness Reviews

Key requirements

• Degree in Electrical, Electronic, or Manufacturing Engineering
• Significant manufacturing experience with leadership responsibility
• Experience in highly regulated industries (aerospace, defence, or space)
• Knowledge of AS9100, AS9145, J-STD-001
• Experience with project management tools (MS Project, Smartsheet); PRINCE2 or PMP desirable
• Understanding of electronics manufacturing: PCBA, SMT, microelectronics assembly
• Familiarity with Lean and Six Sigma
• Experience with ERP/MRP (SAP, Oracle) and PLM tools
• Strong PFMEA, Root Cause Analysis, and test systems (ATE)
• Ability to interpret drawings, BOMs, and GD&T; knowledge of advanced manufacturing techniques

• leadership and people management
• cross-functional collaboration
• stakeholder communication
• AS9100
• AS9145 (APQP/PPAP)
• J-STD-001

…