Lead Industrialization Engineer

About the company

Destinus is a Dutch defence startup that manufactures cruise missiles and autonomous drones.

About this role

About the Role Imagine this. As we scale production in Hengelo, manual, repetitive work on the floor needs to become automated, connected, and data-driven. As Lead Industrialization Engineer, you will lead the team responsible for bringing automation, robotics, and digital tooling into our production and test lines — designing the systems that let us build more, with fewer manual steps and better data at every station. This is a hands-on leadership role at the intersection of hardware and software. You will lead a team of industrialization engineers, drive the selection and integration of automated equipment and PLC/robotic systems, and connect the floor to the digital systems (MES, data pipelines, station-level software) that make it run smarter. At Destinus, we are revolutionizing the defense industry with cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Our innovative technologies are designed to meet the unique demands of modern defense operations, delivering unparalleled speed, precision, and cost effectiveness. Destinus partners with government agencies and defense organizations worldwide to provide advanced solutions for mission-critical operations, enabling a new era of efficiency and technological superiority. Join us in shaping the future of defense with groundbreaking aerospace innovations. What You'll Do Lead industrialization engineering activities and provide technical direction to industrialization engineers, with a strong focus on automation and digitalization of production and test processes Identify manual, repetitive, or error-prone steps across subassembly and main production lines and lead the design and rollout of automated solutions to replace them Specify, select, and integrate automated equipment, robotics, PLCs, and sensor-based systems for production and test cells Own the architecture connecting shop-floor equipment to digital systems - MES, data pipelines, and station-level software — so line and station data flows automatically Lead the industrialization of new products and engineering changes into production, working closely with NPI, Design Engineering, and Data & Validation Engineering Apply lean manufacturing and Theory of Constraints principles to identify bottlenecks and target automation and digitalization where they create the most value Define and maintain routing documentation and station-level work content, ensuring automated and manual steps are correctly represented Partner with software, controls, and electrical engineering functions to bring automation projects from concept to validated, running equipment on the floor Use production and equipment data to identify improvement opportunities and drive measurable results in throughput, quality, and labor efficiency Mentor industrialization engineers and help build automation and digitalization capability across the team Collaborate closely with Production, Production Engineering, Data & Validation Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to keep automation initiatives on track Requirements What You'll Need Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field Strong experience in industrialization, automation engineering, or manufacturing engineering within aerospace, defense, automotive, or another complex hardware environment Proven experience specifying, integrating, or programming automated equipment, robotics, or PLC-based systems in a production or test environment Understanding of how shop-floor equipment connects to digital systems (MES, SCADA, data pipelines) and what it takes to make that connection reliable Strong understanding of lean manufacturing principles, line balancing, and Theory of Constraints / bottleneck management Experience with routing documentation, MBOM structures, and translating process design into production-ready documentation Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, electrical/controls schematics, and technical specifications Experience leading technical projects or teams and coordinating across engineering, controls, and production functions Strong hands-on problem-solving skills and willingness to spend time directly on the production floor Professional working proficiency in English. Dutch is a plus. Who You Are You are a hands-on technical leader who sees automation and digitalization as the path to a better production line, not just a project. You are equally comfortable discussing a robot cell's motion program and the data pipeline that reports on it, and you take ownership of automation initiatives from concept through to a running, trusted system on the floor.