Senior Supervisor

Senior Supervisor Aircraft Engineer (Merlin)

Location: RNAS Culdrose, Helston, TR12 7RH
Salary: Competitive salary plus excellent benefits
Schedule: 38 hours per week

Ready to impact a better future?
As a Senior Supervisor Aircraft Engineer (Merlin) in our Serco Defence team, you’ll play a key role in ensuring Merlin Aircraft or Off‑Aircraft Workshop activities are delivered safely, effectively, and to the high standards required by the Ministry of Defence. Your work will help ensure aircraft critical to national defence remain available, airworthy, and dependable — making a meaningful impact on colleagues, communities, and national capability.

You’ll help create impactful solutions by supporting operational output, maintaining safety and regulatory compliance, and helping colleagues grow through guidance, training, and mentoring. Your contribution will directly support our purpose — to impact a better future through trusted work that touches lives.

What you’ll do as a Senior Supervisor Aircraft Engineer (Merlin)
You’ll be entrusted to:

• Ensure employees are authorised to carry out contracted tasks in line with Customer Regulations and Procedures.


• Make sure all contracted engineering tasks follow current policy, regulatory standards, and statutory requirements.


• Monitor work to ensure tasks are completed safely, correctly, and within required timelines.


• Flag business risks, customer complaints, and quality concerns to Departmental Management.


• Support the development of colleagues by identifying training needs and providing mentoring when requested.


• Promote compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, environmental procedures, the Serco Naval Air Command Unit Manual, Customer Regulations, and the Serco Management System.

Does this sound like you?
You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have:

• At least 6 months’ experience working on Merlin aircraft or relevant components within the last 24 months.


• A Service Certificate of Competency or successful completion of the Serco Supervisory Management and Documentation Course and CofC Board.


• Strong supervisory experience with solid knowledge of Merlin systems, support equipment, planning processes, and technical publications.


• A good understanding of health and safety, COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health), tool control, and quality practices.


• Completion of a Maintenance Human Factors Course.

Vetting and checks:
This role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance, which involves verifying your identity, employment history, nationality, and criminal record to meet government security standards. In addition, depending on the nature of the role, you will need to obtain formal Security Clearance (such as CTC or SC), which includes more detailed background checks on employment, criminal record, and financial history to ensure suitability for working in secure environments. Please note that UK residency requirements may apply for certain levels of clearance. You will also complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire so we can identify and provide any support you may need to undertake the role effectively.

Discover all you need to keep growing
We’re one of the top 1% of international employers, so you can have confidence you’ll be part of a highly supportive culture with leaders you can count on to help you achieve your goals. From mentoring and training to our focus on internal progression, we’re proud to offer clear development opportunities – and the support and tools to help you seize them.

What we offer

• Holidays: 29 days plus bank holidays (and the option to buy up to five additional leave days each year)


• Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme


• Training and development: Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships (including L3 Team Leader and L5 Operations Manager apprenticeships), mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression


• Health and wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service


• Discounts: Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel


• Charity: Tax-free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity


• Employee networks: Our networks support inclusion and connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, veterans, and people from all cultural backgrounds.

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.

A little bit about us:
At Serco, everyone plays a vital part in delivering essential public services that make a real difference. As a global team of 50,000 people across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare, Leisure and Citizen Services, we’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the services that communities rely on. Guided by our values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride, our people make meaningful impact, every single day.

Our inclusive recruitment commitment:
We prioritise your skills and potential. As a Disability Confident Leader, the Top Great British Employer of Veterans 2026, and a Gold Inclusive Employer Standard holder, we champion equal opportunities for all. We offer flexible and hybrid working where possible and make reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment and employment.

• Guaranteed Interview Scheme: Applicants with disabilities, veterans and people with convictions, who meet the minimum job criteria, are guaranteed an interview. Simply opt into the relevant scheme on the application form.


• Ban The Box: We also support fair access for those with unspent criminal convictions through our ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some roles may have security exemptions).

For support with your application, please contact [email protected].

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