Lead Production 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. You are the technical force behind a production environment where advanced aerospace systems need to be built reliably, efficiently, and at increasing scale. As Lead Production Engineer, you will lead the engineering side of our production operations in Hengelo, ensuring our teams have the processes, tools, documentation, and technical support they need to deliver. This is a hands-on leadership role. You will be close to the hardware and the production floor, solving technical challenges, improving processes, and driving production performance while helping build a strong engineering culture within manufacturing. 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 production engineering activities and provide technical direction to engineers and production teams Own and continuously improve manufacturing and assembly processes to increase quality, efficiency, reliability, and output Provide hands-on technical support to production and resolve manufacturing issues that could impact quality or delivery Define and maintain production documentation including work instructions, assembly procedures, tooling requirements, and process specifications Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and technical risks and implement practical improvements Work closely with Design Engineering to improve manufacturability and introduce engineering changes into production Support the implementation and validation of new tooling, equipment, processes, and manufacturing technologies Use production data and KPIs to identify improvement opportunities and drive measurable results Mentor production engineers and technicians and help develop strong technical standards and best practices across the production environment Collaborate closely with Quality, Supply Chain, Industrialization, Operations, and Engineering to keep production moving Requirements What You’ll Need Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field Strong experience in production engineering, manufacturing engineering, or industrial engineering within aerospace, defense, automotive, or another complex hardware environment Proven experience supporting and improving manufacturing or assembly operations in a hands-on production environment Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, assembly methods, tooling, technical documentation, and production workflows Experience with root cause analysis, problem solving, process improvement, and corrective actions Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, and technical documentation Experience leading technical projects or teams and coordinating across multiple engineering and operational 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 takes ownership, solves problems at the source, and drives continuous improvement. You thrive close to the product, the production floor, and the people building it. Security screening is an integral component of the selection process, ensuring that candidates meet the organization's security standards and safeguarding against potential risks.