Engineering Manager - AJAX Production

Location: Hybrid - Typical working pattern: 3 days/week General Dynamics (Merthyr Tydfil), 1 day/week MOD Abbey Wood, 1 day/week WFH.

Rate: Up to £750/day (Inside IR35)

Duration: ASAP - 31/03/2027 (extension possible)

Deadline for Applications: 04/09/2026 at 12:00

Clearance: SC Clearance required. UK Nationals only.

Overview

The AJAX Programme sits within the National Armaments Director Group (NAD). It is delivered on behalf of DG Material (3*), under the purview of Director Land Environment (2*), and delivered as part of the Land Combat Vehicles Portfolio (1*).

The AJAX team comprises of several pillars, each one representing a stage in the project lifecycle. One of which is the Production stage. This Production Pillar is responsible for assurance and acceptance activities of all vehicles manufactured by our prime contractor, General Dynamics.

This team is prominently based at the prime contractor's site and is comprised of civilians and Army personnel. The team is led by a Lt Col. Within this team is a Project Manager responsible for the assurance of vehicle delivery.

This senior role will lead on all engineering change, quality and issues management, to ensure that Production activity continues as scheduled. They will report directly to the Lt Col. and head of Production.

Key Tasks and Deliverables

• Lead Engineer Role - Act as the Lead Engineer within the Manufacture Pillar, providing technical leadership and coordination of manufacturing engineering activities.
• Collaboration - Collaborate closely with the Project Chief and other Lead Engineers to identify, manage, and resolve manufacturing engineering issues promptly and effectively.
• Issue Resolution - Drive issue resolution processes related to manufacturing engineering, ensuring minimal impact on project timelines and quality.
• Support to JAG Engineers - Provide support to JAG engineers, facilitating communication and coordination between manufacturing and other project functions.
• Support to Senior Project Manager - Support the Manufacture Senior Project Manager by providing technical input, progress updates, and risk assessments related to manufacturing engineering.
• Cross-functional Liaison - Liaise with cross-functional teams to ensure manufacturing engineering requirements are clearly understood and met.
• Continuous Improvement - Contribute to continuous improvement and quality initiatives within the manufacturing process and engineering practices.
• Compliance - Ensure compliance with relevant engineering standards, safety regulations, and project requirements.
• Documentation - Maintain accurate documentation of engineering issues, resolutions, and decisions.

Essential Experience / Skills

• Hold a suitable Engineering qualification and level of training (level 6 or greater).
• Professional Registered as CEng or equivalent.
• Experience managing engineering teams is essential.
• Experience managing large stakeholder communities and strong interpersonal skills is essential.

Desirable Experience / Skills

• Experience managing engineering change and configuration (Asset management experience) is desirable.
• Experience within an Engineering Production Environment is desirable, but not essential.
• Experience managing engineering activity within a Defence Major Program (GMPP/CAT A) is desirable.