Engineering Test and Facilities Lead

Company: Safran Electrical & Power

Job field: Testing

Location: Pitstone, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Contract type: Permanent

Contract duration: Full-time

Professional status: Professional, Engineer & Manager

This role is responsible for managing the Engineering Test and Means team and facilities using the resources at their disposal in order to perform the Validation and Verification (V&V) activities on Safran Electrical and Power (SEP) products. This role will also forge links with the Test Equipment team in Operations at Pitstone as well as at other similar Engineering V&V teams at other sites in SAFRAN.

Responsibilities:

1. Manages the Test and Means team including the Environmental team comprising of circa 10 permanent engineers, including Senior Engineer work package owners and additional contractor resources / external work packages, as and when required.
2. Responsible for supporting the definition and flow down annual Business Objectives, including monitoring and corrective action to ensure they are achieved.
3. Defining the overall testing schedule for all SEP programmes. Ensuring all Test and V&V activities carried out by the team are effectively communicated, planned for and delivered on time and on cost.
4. Responsible for managing the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Engineering Test Laboratory (Inc. 12 Test cells and Environmental Chambers / Rigs) ensuring that they are maintained, calibrated and developed to ensure the testing capabilities can support current and future products in line with the overall V&V Strategy.
5. Responsible for ensuring agreed staffing and skill levels are achieved and maintained in line with Business needs.
6. Ensure the successful delivery of Work Packages for Machine and Drive Systems Test activities, but will also include similar deliverables for Product Support, Operations, etc. from time to time.
7. Responsible for establishing processes specific to the Test activities, and adherence of the team (both internal and external) to those processes.
8. Leading the Test and Means function to, when required, resolve highly complex and unusual problems.
9. Financial Responsibilities for Capital Expenditure (agreed with Validation and Verification Engineering Manager) to align with Product and Validation and Verification (V&V) level roadmaps and Safran allocated budget, and Operational Expenditure (OPEX) budget management for General Equipment Maintenance and Repair of circa £250k annually.
10. Ensure the highest value for money in terms of Engineering economic performance.

Complementary Description

1. Accountable for the technical quality of all deliverables from the Test & Means team, including the Environmental team.
2. Accountable for defining and co-ordinating the resource requirements for the team in terms of staff numbers, equipment and facility requirements as well as tools and methodologies.
3. Accountable for developing and maintaining sufficient breadth and depth of technical skills and competency to meet the evolving needs of the Business.
4. Accountable for establishing processes specific to test activities, and adherence of the teams within the EMC and Test cells (both internal and external resources) to those processes.
5. Accountable for interpreting and executing Engineering related Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) policies and procedures.
6. Accountable for defining new policies as required as a result of evolving Business/Operational needs which are unique to the Test team (e.g. safety in the EMC and Test Cell Environment).
7. Accountable for defining and delivering all agreed milestones across all the disciplines.
8. Accountable for workload distribution, allocation and monitoring of all defined objectives, including commissioning and execution of any Work Packages supported by other Safran entities or external agencies to ensure all workload demands are met (to cost, quality and time).
9. Accountable for managing the coaching, development needs and Performance Management of the team whilst also creating an environment to maximize employee engagement.

Job Requirements

1. Experience in a Mechanical / Aeronautical Engineering discipline (or a relevant engineering qualification).
2. Understanding of the development and certification process through personal experience i.e. thorough understanding of all aspects of development engineering including compliance verification, technical risk, compilation of technical documentation, execution of test, use of instrumentation etc.
3. Knowledge of 3 stage generators, 2 and 4 pole both fixed and variable frequency, and the operation of their respective control units. Experience of full aircraft electrical system would be an advantage.
4. Knowledge of motors/smart motors and their operation in an electrical system.
5. Knowledge and experience of RTCA DO-160, MIL-STD-810 and similar environmental test standards.
6. Experience in facility and HSE management in a similar environment (e.g. a Test House).
7. Ability to communicate clearly through written and verbal means to all levels of staff as well as other Engineering teams and external customers to gain credibility within this stakeholder audience.
8. Ability to analyse and resolve complex problems by devising creative and effective solutions.
9. An aptitude for working methodically and systematically in a safe manner, sharing knowledge and experience with colleagues and engineers in a positive and proactive manner.
10. Proven people management & leadership skills with significant experience in managing a large group of engineers, or large projects (including all aspects of resource/facility management).
11. Ability to work within agreed timescales, follow tasks through to completion and meet program deadlines.
12. Sound judgment and strong decision making.
13. Change management facilitator.
14. Experience of ISO/IEC 17025 would be advantageous.