About Drone Major Limited

Drone Major Limited is a specialist engineering company focused on the design, integration, and delivery of unmanned and autonomous vehicle solutions, with particular strength in aerial drone platforms and supporting technologies. The company operates across commercial, industrial, research, and government sectors, delivering technically robust systems that combine airframes, sensors, communications, software, control systems, and supporting infrastructure into reliable operational capabilities.

As a small but highly capable organisation, Drone Major Limited is built around agility, deep technical expertise, and professional delivery. The company is entering a growth phase that includes the establishment of dedicated manufacturing capability to support scaled production of unmanned aerial and surface systems while maintaining the high technical standards and quality associated with its engineering heritage.

Drone Major Limited is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to lead the setup, operation and then expansion of a new manufacturing site dedicated to the production, assembly, integration, and testing of unmanned and autonomous systems. This is a senior leadership role responsible for building the manufacturing capability from project inception through to full operational maturity, and then beyond.

The successful candidate will oversee the preparation of the facility, the design and implementation of multiple production lines, and the continuous development of the site as production capacity expands. Production lines may include different drone platforms as well as non-aerial autonomous vehicles, such as autonomous surface vessels or related robotic systems.

 The Head of Manufacturing will be ultimately accountable for delivering consistent, high-quality products that meet client requirements and regulatory expectations. This includes embedding quality throughout the manufacturing lifecycle, overseeing system integration and verification processes, and ensuring that final acceptance activities — including flight or operational testing — demonstrate reliability and performance. This role combines operational leadership, engineering awareness, quality ownership, and people management within a technically advanced and rapidly growing environment.

Key Responsibilities;

1. Site Establishment & Facility Development

• Lead the end-to-end setup of a new manufacturing facility from initial concept through operational readiness.
• Define facility layout, production flow, tooling requirements, and safety arrangements.
• Establish and maintain reliable and robust supply chain solutions.
• Coordinate infrastructure preparation including utilities, security, environmental controls, and compliance requirements.
• Develop scalable plans that allow the site to mature and expand as production demand increases.

2. Production Line Design & Implementation

• Design and implement multiple production lines capable of supporting varied unmanned and autonomous vehicle builds.
• Establish assembly, integration, and testing processes suitable for both aerial and surface platforms.
• Introduce appropriate automation, tooling, and workflow optimisation to maximise efficiency and repeatability.
• Ensure production lines can adapt to new product types and evolving client requirements.

3. Quality & Acceptance

• Own end-to-end manufacturing quality and output consistency.
• Embed quality assurance and control processes throughout all stages of production.
• Ensure robust verification and validation procedures, including functional, environmental, and flight or operational acceptance testing.
• Maintain traceability, configuration control, and documentation discipline.
• Deliver products that consistently meet client, regulatory, and internal engineering standards.

4. Engineering & Technical Planning

• Drive the engineering and project management teams to ensure manufacturability and technical feasibility.
• Contribute to production planning, risk identification, and mitigation strategies.
• Support new product introduction and transition from prototype to serial production.
• Maintain alignment between design intent and manufacturing execution.

5. Team Leadership & Workforce Development

• Recruit, lead, and develop manufacturing, quality, and technical staff within the facility.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
• Foster a culture of professionalism, safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Manage workforce capacity in line with production demand and growth plans.

6. Operational Management

• Oversee day-to-day manufacturing operations, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Monitor performance metrics including yield, throughput, cost efficiency, and delivery timelines.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and quality.
• Ensure safe working practices and regulatory compliance across all site activities.

Qualifications & Experience;

1. The following are essential:

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in Aerospace, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Systems Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience establishing or scaling manufacturing operations in technically complex industries.
• Strong understanding of production line design, quality assurance, supply chain management and systems integration.
• Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary technical and operational teams.
• Experience delivering products that require formal acceptance testing or regulatory compliance.

2. The following is desirable:

• Experience in systems manufacturing.
• Familiarity with flight or operational acceptance testing environments.
• Knowledge of ISO-aligned quality management systems and configuration control.
• Exposure to defence, research, or high-reliability engineering sectors.
• Experience in facility expansion or site development.

3. Key Skills & Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capability.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• Strong leadership and people-development qualities.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Commercial awareness balanced with technical and regulatory considerations.
• Ability to work effectively within a growing, fast-moving technology company.
• Clear communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Why Join Drone Major?

• Opportunity to build and shape a new manufacturing capability from the ground up.
• Direct influence on the production of advanced unmanned and autonomous technologies.
• Close collaboration with senior leadership and expert engineering teams.
• Diverse and technically engaging projects across aerial and surface autonomous platforms.
• A culture that values professionalism, innovation, and continuous improvement.

This role is ideal for an experienced manufacturing leader who is motivated to establish a high-performance production environment, deliver technically excellent products, and play a central role in the growth of an innovative unmanned systems company.