About this role
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 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career. Job Summary The Senior Design Engineer is responsible for leading product design activities, ensuring that all product-specific requirements are clearly defined, implemented, and verified in alignment with design intent. The role includes ownership or delegated responsibility for design in compliance with Type Certificate Holder, OEM, and applicable regulatory standards. The incumbent brings deep technical expertise in product design, functionality, and operational use, and ensures that all engineering outputs meet required quality, safety, and performance standards Job Responsibilities Key Responsibilities (Short Summary) Own product requirements, design compliance, and regulatory alignment. Lead design verification, validation, and technical reviews. Approve engineering drawings, specifications, and analysis reports. Ensure product certification and compliance with OEM/regulatory standards. Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, certification, and program teams. Support design reviews, audits, and product delivery. Lead design reviews and act as the senior technical representative. Ensure product design integrity, risk management, and structural compliance. Define, verify, and validate product requirements and design changes. Prepare and maintain verification, failure, and safety analysis documentation. Provide technical justification, safety evidence, and compliance support. Ensure compliance with FAA/EASA regulations, AS9100, and OEM standards. Approve product definitions and technical analysis reports. Lead Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA) using 8D, DMAIC, A3, and FMEA. Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and OEM stakeholders. Deliver aligned, technically sound solutions across the product lifecycle. Key Skills & Competencies Strong product design and lifecycle management knowledge. Expertise in design verification, validation, and compliance processes. Proficient in CAD/CAE and engineering analysis tools. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical reporting skills. Effective stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration. Ability to lead technical decisions and mentor junior engineers. Job Qualifications General: Must possess a high level of engineering functional knowledge (typically Technical Excellence Framework level 4 or higher in an appropriate Area of Expertise) and experience across multiple disciplines to successfully manage/guide the project/programme technical team. Must possess the highest level of technical project leadership as the role is accountable for the competing parameters of technical quality (Safety/Airworthiness) as well as project schedule. Must possess the highest level of problem-solving skills in both technical and programme management disciplines to successfully manage the technical direction of the project and support the overall business objectives of the programme. The role requires the highest level of interpersonal skills – see below for details of skills and personal attributes required. Essential: Bachelor or Master Degree in (Mechanical/ Aerospace) Engineering or equivalent working and thinking Level gained through experience. At least 15+ years of relevant experience gained within an engineering discipline, ideally within an aerospace environment and in multi-disciplinary engineering project teams (Design, Aerodynamics, Aerothermal, Solid mechanics, all type of Analysis, Manufacturing & Industrialization). At least 7+ years product development experience. Knowledge of Airworthiness requirements from a DOA perspective Knowledge of classification of product and characteristics This role shall be attached to the authorization application Extensive experience with Negotiation with external stakeholder regarding rebalancing requirements. Also handling of the proposed requirements change Project & Program management knowledge, planning and organising skills based on recognised project management methods. Solid approach/understanding to the delivery and tracking of engineering tasks. Able to define challenging objectives and achieve them. Identification of relevant risks assessed and mitigates as planned and documented in DFMEA Able to work with cross-functional Teams that will typically include (in addition to the Design Engineering Team) Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Commercial. Procurement, Quality and Suppliers. Has excellent judgement in considering when escalation is appropriate. Strong minded, convincing and committed, focussed on delivery, must be able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines. Ability to clearly present data, reports and presentations to facilitate the decision-making process at all levels of the business. 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.