CNC Milling Shift Leader

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

CNC Milling Shift Leader

Manufacturing | Precision Engineering | Telford, On Site | Full Time, Perm

Closing Date: 30th October 2026

About the Company

Rheinmetall Weapon Munitions UK Limited (RWM UK) – a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rheinmetall Group and part of the Weapon and Ammunition Division – is Rheinmetall's centre of excellence for the production and maintenance of large calibre weapon systems in the United Kingdom. In particular, smoothbore weapon systems for main battle tanks in 120 mm and artillery systems in 155 mm calibre.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced and motivated CNC Shift Leader to lead our machining team and ensure safe, efficient and high-quality production within a high precision engineering environment.

This is a hand-on leadership role, combining CNC machine Operation with team supervision, technical support and production coordination.

You will play a key role in ensuring production targets are achieved, quality standards are maintained and team members are supported to perform at their best.

Key Responsibilities

• Taking on shift supervisor duties and carrying out production work on the machines (proportion to be determined as required)
• Operate Large Milling/Grinding and Wire Eroding machines (DMG,SHW, EDM etc)
• Monitor machines during the machining of high-quality components for large calibre weapons systems
• Give technical support to team members on setups, tooling, programs and troubleshooting
• Set up, program, operate and prove out CNC machines to the required quality and cycle times
• Work to drawings, work instructions and inspection plans, and carry out in-process checks
• Lead by example on safety, housekeeping (5S) and machine care
• Train and develop team members through on-the-job training, including new starters, and keep training records and competency sign-offs up to date
• Create and update SWI’s documents so they reflect current best practice
• Carry out daily shift briefs covering safety, priorities, quality issues and targets
• Carry out handovers to the next shift leader, covering status, issues and priorities
• Act as the main point of contact for the shift, including for managers, quality, maintenance, planning, engineering, toolshop and visitors
• Escalate any issues that impact production to the relevant stakeholders (maintenance, quality, engineering, toolshop) and follow up until resolved
• Ensure the whole team routinely completes daily production documentation, including AMs and inspection quality sheets
• Support production planning to maximise machine utilisation
• Carry out risk assessments and dynamic risk assessments as and when required
• Populate and maintain the production KPI boards (output, quality, delivery, safety)
• Schedule operators to machines for each shift based on skills, workload and absence
• Manage team holiday requests and cover
• Identify opportunities to improve process steps (continuous improvement) in safety, quality, efficiency and waste reduction, and help implement them
• Booking of production confirmations (quantity and time) in SAP

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS YOU SHOULD HAVE

Essential:

• Proven CNC machining experience (milling and/or turning), including setting and programming
• Ability to read engineering drawings and use measuring equipment
• Good communication, with the ability to brief, coach and motivate a team
• Ability to train others and assess competence
• Basic IT skills for reports, rosters and KPI boards
• Strong awareness of health and safety

Desired:

• Previous experience as a team leader, supervisor or lead hand
• Training or coaching qualification or experience
• Knowledge of continuous improvement tools (5S, Kaizen, root cause analysis)
• Experience with Fanuc or Siemens controls
• Recognised engineering qualification (e.g. NVQ Level 3 or equivalent)
• Experience working in the Defence sector
• Basic SAP-Knowledge

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

Rheinmetall is establishing a new production site for large calibre barrels in Telford - and you have the opportunity to join the company at this really exciting time of growth and be involved in setting up the new plant from the very beginning.

What do we offer:

• Competitive salaries reviewed each year against market
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private Healthcare Plan
• Employer pension contribution up to 6% matched by employer
• Free on site car park
• Career development opportunities
• Excellent Training Opportunities

Rheinmetall is an Equal Opportunities Employer . The company is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status, genetic information or parental status. We base all our employment decisions on merit, job requirements and business needs.

Please be aware that many roles working for Rheinmetall will be subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors including your nationality, any previous nationalities you have held, and your place of birth may limit those roles you can perform for the organisation.