Chief Engineer

East Cowes, England, United Kingdom

12/13/2024

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

Join GKN Aerospace as a Chief Engineer, where you will play a pivotal role in managing all design-related aspects of a business jet turbofan nacelle program. As a key member of the Programme Core Team (PM, CE, CME, Procurement/SC, Finance), you will oversee all engineering activities to ensure alignment with program and business objectives.

This role requires a strategic leader with the ability to drive technical excellence while balancing program goals, cost, quality, and schedule. Reporting both hierarchically and functionally to the Chief Engineer – Sustaining at Cowes, you will collaborate across teams to deliver innovative and reliable solutions that meet the highest standards of aerospace engineering.

Bring your expertise and leadership to this dynamic position and help shape the future of aerospace design and engineering at GKN Aerospace.

How You'll Contribute

• Ensure product designs meet airworthiness and certification specifications, maintaining compliance with customer requirements.
• Serve as the primary technical contact for external customers, addressing and resolving technical issues.
• Manage engineering support for production programs, including resource and budget planning, performance tracking, and reporting.
• Deliver engineering outputs that meet technical, quality, manufacturability, and certification requirements within agreed cost and schedule targets.
• Oversee cost and schedule control for engineering activities using earned value management (EVM).
• Report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for quality, compliance, risk, cost, and schedule to engineering leadership.
• Develop and implement plans to improve quality, reduce costs, and minimize scrap and concessions.
• Support program risk management by identifying technical risks and leading mitigation actions.
• Manage changes and scope control, supporting internal processes and customer change control boards.
• Maintain configuration control and manage incorporation of modifications into the design standard in collaboration with design teams.
• Lead and inspire the engineering team, fostering continuous improvement and a culture of innovation.
• Communicate effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and collaboration.
• Act as the focal point for quality investigations, leading root cause and corrective action (RCCA) activities as needed.
• Ensure all engineering activities adhere to business management systems (BMS), supporting audits and maintaining compliance.
  
  

What You'll Bring

Essential

To help us make a difference, you’ll bring your passion and talent for what you do along with the following skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:

• Significant senior engineering experience, including technical management of design, analysis, and product development (10+ years with a degree or 20+ years without a degree).
• Proven expertise in an aerospace manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience as a technical approval authority with appropriate seniority in design, product development, or analysis.
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary engineering project teams, including design, analysis, materials and processes (M&P), and manufacturing.
• Proven ability to manage complex engineering projects using established project management methodologies.
• Strong experience collaborating cross-functionally with operations, senior leadership, customers, and suppliers.
• Skilled in solving complex technical problems effectively.
• Proficient in presenting data, reports, and technical information clearly and confidently to senior audiences.
  
  

Desirable

• A relevant Engineering BSc or MSc Degree or equivalent Project Management certification such as Prince II
• Experience of regulatory bodies and associated requirements
• Experience gained from multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary teams in an international setting
• Experience of leading, coaching and developing technical engineering teams
• Experience of Nacelle Engineering
• Experience of structural analysis.
  
  

We are looking for an inspiring leader who excels in fostering a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment while driving teams toward program and business goals. The ideal candidate communicates clearly, builds strong relationships, and demonstrates passion and energy to deliver consistent results. They exhibit strategic thinking, entrepreneurial drive, and the ability to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, and achieve long-term success. With strong planning, problem-solving, and organizational skills, they thrive under pressure and meet tight deadlines. Committed to empowering others, they invest in team development through coaching, delegation, and constructive feedback, while maintaining sound judgment, commercial acumen, and a focus on achieving results.

What We'll Offer

Once you’re on board you’ll get the following perks and benefits:

Competitive salary dependant on experience

£5,500 car allowance per annum

Opportunity to earn up to 22.5% bonus

Hybrid working – giving you the opportunity to balance home and office working

Industry Leading Pension Scheme = we’ll match your contributions up to 8% on a 1 : 1.5 basis

Life Assurance 8 x salary

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Income protection

Shopping discounts

Cycle To Work Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

A collaborative, dynamic working environment

As well as a competitive package we’ll offer you a world of opportunity. We want to see your career fly! We’ll support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities. That’s the beauty of being part of a global business, once you’re on board you never know where you career journey may take you!

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.