Manufacturing recruitment
Manufacturing recruitment in Scotland
YP Recruitment places production managers, manufacturing engineers, quality managers, and operations leaders across Scotland for employers including Leonardo, Babcock, Wood Group, Subsea7, and Spirit AeroSystems. Scotland's manufacturing base spans aerospace at Prestwick, defence electronics in Edinburgh and Livingston, naval manufacturing at Rosyth, food and drink production across Speyside, the Borders, and the Highlands, and energy equipment manufacturing in Aberdeen. Salaries run from £28,000 for production roles to £68,000 for plant managers and operations directors.
The manufacturing market in Scotland
Spirit AeroSystems at Prestwick in Ayrshire manufactures wing components and fuselage sections for commercial aircraft programmes, employing manufacturing engineers, composite specialists, CNC programmers, and quality professionals in an AS9100-regulated production environment. The site is one of Scotland's most significant aerospace manufacturing operations and has a supply chain that extends across Ayrshire and into Greater Glasgow. Leonardo in Edinburgh and Livingston manufactures defence electronics systems including radar, electronic warfare equipment, and avionics.
Babcock at Rosyth in Fife undertakes complex naval manufacturing and refit work on Royal Navy vessels, employing production managers, manufacturing engineers, and quality professionals with marine or defence manufacturing backgrounds. The work is technically demanding, security-sensitive, and offers long-term programme stability. The nuclear decommissioning supply chain in Scotland, particularly around Dounreay, also employs specialist manufacturing and fabrication professionals.
Scotland's food and drink manufacturing sector is one of its most distinctive. Scotch whisky distilling, blending, and bottling operations across Speyside, Islay, and the Lowlands employ production managers and quality professionals. Scottish seafood processing on the West Coast and Northern Isles, and dairy and soft drinks manufacturing across the Central Belt, add further food manufacturing depth. For candidates who want to live in Scotland but work in manufacturing, the food and drink sector often offers the strongest regional career pathways.
Salary benchmarks
Manufacturing salaries in Scotland broadly align with the UK average. Production supervisors earn £28,000 to £38,000. Production managers and quality managers earn £38,000 to £52,000. Operations managers at Spirit, Babcock, or larger food and drink sites earn £50,000 to £60,000. Plant managers and manufacturing directors reach £56,000 to £68,000. Aberdeen and Edinburgh roles typically sit slightly above the Scottish average due to the oil sector and capital city premium.
Roles we fill in Scotland
Production Manager
Aerospace, defence, food and drink. Multi-shift. Spirit, Babcock, distilling. £38,000-£52,000.
Manufacturing Engineer
Composite, aerostructures, naval. Spirit Prestwick and supply chain. £36,000-£52,000.
Quality Manager
AS9100, BRC, ISO 9001. Aerospace, food, defence. £38,000-£54,000.
CNC Programmer
Aerospace machining. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Prestwick. Fanuc, Siemens. £32,000-£46,000.
Lean Manufacturing Engineer
CI, VSM, kaizen. Aerospace and food and drink. £32,000-£48,000.
Plant Manager
Full P&L. Aerospace, naval, or food and drink. £56,000-£68,000.
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