Job Description

Employee Type
Full Time
Hours Per Week
37.5
Clearance Required for Role
DV
Vacancy Type
Permanent
Town/Region
Ampthill - Bedfordshire
Graduate, Intern or Apprentice Vacancy?
No
Required skills, qualifications and experience

• Recognised apprenticeship in CNC machining or equivalent technical qualification; extensive hands-on CNC experience will be considered in lieu of formal training.
• Proven experience in a leadership or supervisory role within a CNC machining or advanced manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of precision machining processes, materials, tooling, and CNC programming.
• Demonstrated experience working in low-volume, high-complexity, and R&D-focused production settings.
• In-depth knowledge of lean manufacturing, 6S, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work collaboratively across departments.
• Strong planning, organisational, and time management abilities, with a focus on delivery, quality, and cost efficiency.
• Proficient in reading engineering drawings, GD&T, and interpreting technical documentation.

Desirable:

• Experience with aerospace, defence, medical, or high-reliability sectors.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing data analytics.
• Certification in lean, six sigma, or similar continuous improvement frameworks.

Discipline
Manufacturing
Business Environment
Lockheed Martin (UK) Ampthill is a rapidly changing, dynamic part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation with both domestic and international customers. It consists of business areas focusing on Platform Integration, Ground Based Air Defence, Special Projects and Weapons, which provide a variety of products and services to the Ministry of Defence and other customers. We are looking for talented individuals to join the company, in return we offer an exciting and challenging career path and excellent work/life balance with a 4 day week (Mon-Thurs) and flexible working arrangements.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and proactive CNC Manufacturing Team Lead to manage daily operations in a low-volume, high-cost environment focused on critical hardware, research and development (R&D), and precision CNC machining. The ideal candidate will combine deep CNC machining expertise with proven leadership skills, playing a vital role in delivering high-quality components for mission-critical applications.
This position requires a hands-on leader who thrives in a complex, collaborative environment and who can drive performance across safety, quality, delivery, and cost metrics.
Key Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & Supervision

• Lead, coach, and manage a team of up to 10 CNC machinists and technicians, overseeing day-to-day operations.
• Ensure adequate staffing, skills coverage, and shift handovers in line with production demands.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide feedback, and support professional development through mentoring and skills matrix assessments.
• Production & Facility Management

• Own and manage the assigned production cell/facility area, ensuring full operational readiness and compliance.
• Schedule and prioritise workloads to meet programme deliverables, internal milestones, and customer deadlines.
• Provide hands-on technical support for CNC programming, machine setup, tooling selection, and problem-solving as needed.
• Health, Safety & Compliance

• Promote and maintain a strong safety culture, ensuring full compliance with HSE standards and best practices.
• Drive awareness and accountability across the team for safe operations and clean work environments (6S and FOD control).
• Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Track and manage key KPI metrics: Safety, Quality, Schedule Adherence, Cost, and On-Time Delivery.
• Lead root cause analysis and problem-solving initiatives to address machining or assembly issues.
• Champion continuous improvement activities, including lean manufacturing, cost reduction, and process optimization.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Design, Quality, Planning, and Materials teams to ensure seamless workflow and timely resolution of issues.
• Provide feedback to Engineering and Design teams to improve manufacturability and reduce production cycle times.
• Collaborate with other Team Leaders to support load balancing, shared resourcing, and best practice deployment across the wider manufacturing function.

Working Schedule
4xFlex
What we offer you
At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more.
We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off. We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement.
We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment. Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Competitive Pension
• Dental
• Critical Illness
• Life Assurance
• Travel Insurance
• Employee discounts for top high street shops
• Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counseling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc
• Internal training and development alongside our Education assistance programmes
• Reimbursement for a professional membership
• Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave

Skills Required