Engineering and technical recruitment across the South West

YP Recruitment is a specialist engineering and technical recruitment agency covering the South West of England. We place engineers, manufacturing professionals, construction managers, property services specialists, technical sales professionals, and executive leaders across Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.

The South West engineering and technical market

The South West has one of the UK's strongest aerospace and defence engineering economies. Airbus's wing manufacturing facility at Filton, Bristol, produces wings for the entire Airbus single-aisle family and employs thousands of composite, structures, and manufacturing engineers. Rolls-Royce's Bristol operation is a major centre for gas turbine and defence propulsion engineering.

Defence is deeply embedded in the region. Babcock operates the Devonport dockyard in Plymouth, the UK's primary naval refitting facility, which sustains a large marine and nuclear engineering workforce. EDF Energy's Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset is one of Europe's largest active construction projects, creating sustained demand for civil, mechanical, electrical, and nuclear engineers for years to come.

Beyond aerospace and defence, the South West has active construction markets driven by residential growth in Bristol, Exeter, and Bath. GKN Aerospace at Filton adds further depth to the aerospace cluster, and Leonardo's helicopter systems division at Yeovil and Dyson's engineering headquarters at Malmesbury extend the region's technical breadth.

What we recruit across the South West

Engineering

We place mechanical, electrical, aerospace, nuclear, and project engineers across the region. Mid-level engineers earn £41,000 to £56,000 and senior engineers command £54,000 to £70,000. Graduate roles start at £30,000 to £38,000. Demand is strongest in aerospace, nuclear, and defence. View our engineering recruitment page.

Manufacturing

Aerospace manufacturing dominates, but the region also has food and drink manufacturing in Somerset and Gloucestershire. Production and manufacturing managers earn £54,000 to £70,000. Composites technicians and NDT specialists are in particular demand around Filton.

Construction

Hinkley Point C, residential growth across Bristol and Exeter, and transport infrastructure projects drive sustained hiring. We recruit site managers (£49,000 to £65,000), project managers (£59,000 to £76,000), and quantity surveyors. View our construction recruitment page.

Property services

Bristol's growing commercial estate and the region's MoD property portfolio create demand for facilities managers, building services engineers, and estates managers. Bath's heritage property stock also generates specialist building services roles.

Technical sales

Technical sales engineers selling into aerospace, defence, and manufacturing businesses earn £43,000 to £59,000 base plus commission. The Bristol and Swindon corridor offers strong territory potential for technical sales professionals.

Executive and leadership

We handle senior and board-level appointments for engineering and defence businesses across the region. Engineering directors, operations directors, and managing directors command £81,000 to £130,000 or more depending on business size and sector.

Major employers in the region

The South West's engineering and technical employer base includes Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN Aerospace, EDF Energy, Babcock, alongside Leonardo, Dyson, DSTL, QinetiQ, and a deep aerospace and defence supply chain across the Bristol, Gloucester, and Swindon corridor.

Cities we cover

We recruit across every major city and town in the South West. Our strongest presence covers Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Bath, Swindon, and Gloucester.

Work with us

If you are hiring engineering or technical professionals in the South West, talk to our team about how we fill roles faster through sector-specific candidate networks. If you are looking for your next role, browse our current vacancies or check your market value with our salary checker.