Principal Design Engineer

Job Summary

Its great to know youre making a difference to the future of aviation! Whatever part you play youll be helping us deliver operational excellence to our customers. Based at our Luton manufacturing plant youll do just that. Established in 1993 GKN Aerospace in Luton is a world leader in commercial and military ice protection systems and transparencies. Offering a full range of capabilities; design analysis testing certification and manufacture of electro-thermal ice protection military fast jet canopies and flight deck windows to over 20 programmes including: Boeing 787 Dreamliner Airbus A320 AgustaWestland AW101 Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. Our customers include Boeing Airbus Lockheed Martin Bell Helicopters Textron BAE Systems Pratt & Whitney Leonardo. Our Luton site is home to 370 employees and onsite facilities including onsite parking food hub and vending machines.

Join our Transparencies team as a Principal Design Engineer and help drive innovative design solutions.

We are looking for a Principal Design Engineer to join our Transparencies team to support a portfolio of new and existing programmes including Fast jet canopies Helicopter Windscreens and Flight Deck Windows.

ThePrincipal Design Engineer is a technical authority within the Transparency Systems team responsible for leading complex product development driving technical strategy and ensuring engineering excellence across multiple programmes. It spans the full lifecycle: advanced concept development requirements definition geometric design materials and process selection supporting tooling design manufacturing development qualification and in service support.

ThePrincipal Design Engineer also plays a major role in shaping technology roadmaps mentoring engineering teams and representing the business in highlevel customer regulatory and airworthiness discussions.

This role requires flexibility for occasional travel both within the UK and internationally. Core operational hours at our Luton site are: 07:30 - 16:30 Monday to Thursday & 07:30 - 12:30 Friday.

Job Responsibilities

Act as the technical authority for transparency design across multiple programmes ensuring design integrity safety and compliance with customer regulatory and airworthiness requirements.
Lead the definition of design standards and engineering best practices for transparency systems and approve design solutions specifications concessions rework schemes and compliance documentation.
Provide expert guidance on requirements management materials selection structural performance optical performance manufacturing processes and qualification methods.
Represent Design function in MRBs and serve as the primary escalation point for all MRB-related queries exercising technical authority to determine and approve the disposition of non conforming parts.
Define and validate test methods and/or alternate means of compliance (analysis/similarity) as required to demonstrate design solution complies with requirements.
Act as a senior technical interface with customers suppliers regulatory bodies and internal stakeholders. Communicate complex technical information clearly to both technical and non technical audiences.
Lead major technical reviews gate reviews and customer design reviews ensuring high quality technical data and presentations.
Identify assess and manage technical risks across programmes proposing mitigation strategies and influencing programme direction.
Support capability development within the Transparency Systems team including training knowledge capture and succession planning.
You will contribute to the development of GKN as a Great Place to Work aligned with the core principles - safe innovative open & honest care & respect and ownership.

What Youll Bring

To help us make a difference youll bring your passion and talent for what you do along with the following skills experience qualifications and attributes:
Essential:
Degree in Aerospace Mechanical or similar
Experience in Aerospace design / or Aerospace product development.
Deep understanding of the full product lifecycle design practices manufacturing processes and airworthiness requirements.
Proven ability to lead complex engineering work packages and solve complex technical problems using evidence based methodical approaches.
Familiarity with digital engineering and model based design preferably using CATIA V5.
Excellent communication skills able to create clear concise and accurate technical content and present to senior stakeholders.

Desirable:
Expert user of CATIA V5 for complex modelling and drawing creation
Chartered Engineer status (CEng)
Experience working with defence customers and regulatory authorities.
Experience in transparencies composites or specialist structures/ systems.

This is a hands on role and the work will entail a high level of collaboration with Manufacturing Engineering and Operations as part of an integrated programme team to ensure both technical and programme objectives are met. Youll have strong leadership qualities with experience mentoring and developing engineering teams.

You should be adaptable in your approach to work and be willing to understudy other team members in their areas of responsibility to ensure overall department objectives are met.

As Principal Design Engineer you will be naturally detail oriented and appreciate the need for procedural compliance to meet both regulatory requirements and maintain product safety. Your proactive nature will enable you to understand and adapt to new technology areas quickly. Your good communication skills shall enable you to confidently engage with a wide variety of internal stakeholders. You should seek to increase/deepen own technical knowledge through study training collaborative working and continual professional development.

Note: Some GKN programmes are subject to regulatory restrictions which may impact certain nationalities. As part of the application process you will be asked to declare when applying for this role.

The position requires UK National Security Vetting (UKNSV) Security clearance (SC) due to the nature and responsibilities of the work carried order for us to obtain an SC you usually need to have been resident in the UK for a minimum of 5 years to current date (but we do assess each case individually).

What Well Offer

Once youre on board youll get the following perks and benefits:
Competitive salary dependent on experience
The opportunity to earn up to 15% bonus
Industry Leading Pension Scheme well match your contributions up to 8% on a 1 : 1.5 basis
Life Assurance 8 x salary
185 hours holiday bank holidays
Income protection
Shopping discounts
Cycle To Work Scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Virtual GP Clinic for you and immediate family
Free onsite parking
Local gym discount
Free airport parking
Enhanced family friendly leave
A collaborative dynamic working environment

Join us and keep the world moving click on the link below to apply

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