CNC Setter / Operator

About the role

Rolls-Royce is one of the world's leading producers of large civil aero engines, and Derby is its global civil aerospace headquarters and primary UK manufacturing site. The Trent family — Trent 700, 800, 900, 1000, XWB and 7000 — powers Airbus A330neo, A350 and Boeing 787 fleets worldwide, and every engine that leaves Derby contains components machined in-house from titanium and nickel-based superalloys. This role sits within the high-value machining cells. You'll work alongside programmers, methods engineers and inspectors on Mazak Integrex multi-tasking centres and DMG Mori 5-axis mills, producing parts where dimensional tolerance is measured in microns and traceability is end-to-end auditable to airworthiness requirements. The shop floor culture is meticulous — engine components either pass first-time inspection or they don't fly. You'll be backed by a strong programming team, modern toolroom support, and an apprenticeship-heavy environment where progression into programming, inspection or methods engineering is the norm rather than the exception. Standard package includes the Rolls-Royce defined-contribution pension scheme, share-incentive plan participation, continental shift premium, on-site occupational health, and access to the engineering CPD framework that has produced generations of UK aerospace engineers.

Responsibilities

• Set and operate 5-axis CNC machining centres on titanium, Inconel and other nickel-based superalloy components
• First-off and in-process inspection against engineering drawings using GD&T tolerances down to ±0.01 mm
• Tool offset adjustments, wear compensation and cycle-time optimisation across production batches
• Maintain machine-tool readiness — cleaning, fluid checks and daily preventive checks
• Document each part in the build pack and flag non-conformance to QC before downstream operations
• Support continuous improvement projects targeting cycle time, scrap rate and fixture upgrades
• Participate in shift handovers and contribute to root-cause analysis on tool wear and dimensional drift
• Maintain an audit-ready work area aligned with internal AS9100 and customer airworthiness standards

Requirements

• 3+ years setting and operating CNC machining centres (Heidenhain, Fanuc or Mazatrol controls)
• Confident reading first-angle and third-angle GD&T engineering drawings
• Apprentice-trained or NVQ Level 3 in Mechanical Engineering / Machining
• Eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC) — sole UK national, 5-year UK residence
• Familiar with CMM, vernier, micrometer and surface-finish inspection equipment
• Comfortable working continental shifts (early / late / nights rotation)