Manufacturing Engineer – MDP Module Assembly

Location: Derby, Manchester or Warrington (with regular travel to Factory 2050)
 

At Rolls‑Royce SMR, the Modularisation Development Programme (MDP) plays a critical role in shaping how our future power stations are designed, manufactured and assembled. We’re now looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to join our MDP Module Assembly team, supporting the delivery of modularisation demonstrators that will inform, test and mature our manufacturing strategy.

This is not a traditional “steady‑state” manufacturing role. The work is highly developmental, experimental and iterative. Designs evolve, requirements change, and learning from success and failure is central to how the team operates. If you’re comfortable working with ambiguity, asking questions, and adapting as priorities shift, this environment will give you the opportunity to make a real impact.

You’ll play a key role in delivering modularisation demonstrators from early concept through to execution, ensuring outputs meet technical requirements, are delivered safely, and generate meaningful learning for the wider SMR programme.

We need you to:

• Deliver modularisation demonstrators on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards
• Execute experiments that validate module design and manufacturing methods
• Ensure designs and manufacturing approaches are robust, repeatable and safe
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, quality, procurement and facilities
• Coordinate supplier and delivery‑partner activity, holding performance, quality and delivery to account
• Apply structured delivery and project management approaches to manage risk, visibility and control
• Communicate the MDP vision, expectations and standards clearly to suppliers and stakeholders
• Contribute to a learning culture where experimentation, iteration and continuous improvement are actively encouraged

There’s no such thing as a perfect candidate. If you meet most of what’s listed below, we’d love to hear from you.

Experience & knowledge

• Experience delivering complex engineering or manufacturing projects or demonstrators, ideally in R&D or highly regulated environments (e.g. nuclear, aerospace, defence, automotive, heavy industry)
• Strong project delivery capability, including planning, risk management and cross‑functional coordination
• Experience working with suppliers and external delivery partners
• Understanding of quality, safety and compliance requirements in regulated engineering environments

Ways of working

• Comfortable operating in environments with ambiguity and changing requirements
• Patient, resilient and pragmatic when plans evolve or dependencies shift
• Confident questioning and constructively challenging assumptions
• Collaborative, calm under pressure, and solutions‑focused

Qualifications

• HND / Foundation Degree (or equivalent) in an engineering discipline
• Professional engineering registration (IEng / CEng) is desirable
• Project management qualifications (APM PMQ, PRINCE2, PMP) are beneficial

• Development‑led manufacturing and R&D setting
• Projects may change direction as learning emerges — adaptability is essential
• Long approval and governance cycles typical of regulated industries
• Regular travel required to Factory 2050, currently on a weekly basis

• Salary: £42,000 - £55,150
• Bonus opportunity: up to 12.5%
• Benefits allowance: £2,200
• Pension: up to 12% Company Pension Contribution
• Life assurance: 6x pensionable salary
• Income protection: 50%
• Holiday: 29 days plus bank holidays
• New joiner payment: £250
• Working pattern: 37.5 hours per week, with flexible and part‑time working options available