More than 60 jobs could be at risk after Great Yarmouth-based C-MAC Aerospace after it announced plans to restructure its worldwide operation following a recent acquisition deal.

Last year saw C-MAC, which designs and manufactures microelectronic devices, acquire Milton Keynes firm Cobham MAL, a radar and microwave applications specialist. Staff at the two sites are being consulted on the redundancy plan, which comes as a takeover deal for C-MAC itself, with an as yet undisclosed buyer looks, imminent.

Karen Oddey, chief executive at C-MAC said the aim of the restructuring was to strip out duplication within the two firms, but she said the hope was that most of the job losses would be secured through voluntary redundancies.

The firm, which operates in the aerospace, defence, space and energy sectors, has been reviewing the structure of its merged businesses and was beginning a consultation with staff, which could place up to 60 jobs at risk out of 300 worldwide.

However engineering development teams, who make up between 10pc and 15pc of the workforce will not be affected by the proposals, she said.

'While I and my team look forward to growing the business in the future, we have to make sure C-MAC is an effective and efficient business unit,' Mrs Oddey said. 'Our immediate priority is the employees affected by this proposal. We are proposing to seek voluntary redundancies wherever possible. We will work with unions, staff representatives and employment organisations to minimise the impact of the restructure on our staff.

'The primary objective is to enable this business to grow,' she added. 'The market conditions are tough and they are going to continue to be difficult, because it's competitive out there. The reality is that we have got to stay competitive

'We believe fully in the future of the business. 'I'm very committed to Great Yarmouth, and still have a vision for growing to the point where we are expanding our facility and there's no room on South Denes.'

Details of the new C-MAC buyer could be released as early as today, but Mrs Oddey said that the imminent takeover was not behind the process and there would no further restructuring beyond the current proposals.

'They are supporting our management proposals and these are things that would have happened anyway,' she said.