As commercial aerospace production gathers pace across the globe, manufacturers are increasingly competing for a new generation of engineers capable of combining technical expertise with project leadership, customer engagement and manufacturing innovation.
For Burnley-headquartered Velocity Composites plc, that challenge has translated into a strategic investment in engineering capability, with the AIM-listed aerospace technology specialist launching recruitment for a Project Engineer to support a growing portfolio of international customer programmes.
The appointment comes as aircraft manufacturers continue to increase production rates and suppliers across the aerospace ecosystem focus on delivering greater efficiency, quality and resilience throughout increasingly complex supply chains.
Velocity Composites, which provides advanced composite material kits, digital material management technologies and engineering services to many of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers, believes modern project engineering roles have evolved significantly beyond traditional manufacturing support.
Instead, today’s engineers are expected to bridge the gap between customers, manufacturing operations, supply chain partners and new product development, ensuring programmes move efficiently from design through to full-rate production.
The successful Project Engineer will take responsibility for managing New Product Introduction (NPI) projects across structural and processed composite materials, working with customers and manufacturing teams across Velocity’s international operations. The role also includes supporting engineering change requests, manufacturing optimisation, project planning and continuous improvement initiatives designed to improve productivity while reducing waste.
Oliver Smalley, Chief Operating Officer at Velocity Composites, said investment in engineering talent remains central to the company’s long-term growth strategy.
“Engineering is at the heart of everything we do. As our customers continue to increase production and introduce increasingly sophisticated composite structures, we need engineers who enjoy solving complex problems and working collaboratively across multiple disciplines.”
He continued:
“This isn’t a role where someone spends every day behind a desk. Our Project Engineers work directly with customers, manufacturing teams and suppliers, helping deliver programmes that support some of the world’s most advanced aerospace platforms. It offers genuine variety and the opportunity to see projects develop from concept through to production.”
Unlike many engineering positions, the role offers significant international exposure, with opportunities to work alongside leading aerospace OEMs and Tier One suppliers across Velocity’s manufacturing footprint in the UK, Europe and North America.
The successful candidate will help coordinate projects across multiple sites while supporting the company’s continued investment in advanced digital manufacturing systems and proprietary composite material management technologies.
For engineers looking to broaden both their technical and commercial experience, the position provides exposure to customer relationship management, project delivery, manufacturing engineering and operational improvement within one of the aerospace sector’s fastest-evolving specialist disciplines.
Smalley believes these broader experiences are becoming increasingly valuable as aerospace manufacturers seek engineers capable of understanding the complete manufacturing lifecycle.
“The future of aerospace manufacturing depends on engineers who can think beyond individual processes and understand how design, materials, manufacturing, quality and customer requirements all come together. We’re looking for people who are naturally curious, enjoy working with others and want to build long-term careers in an industry that continues to innovate.”
The recruitment campaign also reflects Velocity’s continued investment across its global business following recent operational milestones, including the achievement of Nadcap Merit status at its Tallassee manufacturing facility in Alabama, expansion of customer programmes in North America and ongoing support for major commercial aerospace, defence and advanced air mobility platforms.
As aerospace manufacturers continue to rebuild production capacity following several years of supply chain disruption, demand for skilled project engineers is expected to remain strong.
For Velocity Composites, attracting ambitious engineering talent forms an important part of ensuring the business continues to support customers with the innovation, quality and manufacturing expertise required by the next generation of aerospace programmes.
“We’re proud to offer engineers the opportunity to work on projects that genuinely influence how modern aircraft are manufactured,” added Smalley.
“For someone looking to develop technically while building international experience within a growing aerospace technology business, this is an exciting opportunity to become part of a team helping shape the future of advanced composites manufacturing.”
Applications for the Project Engineer position are now open. Interested candidates can submit their CV via the Velocity Composites careers page.
