Senior Manufacturing Engineer- Industrial Lead

GKN Aerospace; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job description

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 Senior Manufacturing Engineer, playing a key role in the development and industrialisation of cutting-edge Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technology.

You’ll be responsible to provide technical expertise at a local project level for operational and development programs to enable and deliver zero defects. Develop and deliver the Manufacturing Engineering deliverables in align with Lifecycle Gate Management Procedure, whilst delivering to programme constraints.

Job Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with Health, Safety & Environmental policies, championing a safety-first mindset.
• Provide technical expertise for the development and deployment of advanced manufacturing processes, tooling, and materials.
• Lead process industrialisation, ensuring high levels of process capability and efficiency.
• Solve vendor quality and scheduling issues, working closely with suppliers.
• Implement Lean initiatives to continuously improve manufacturing processes.
• Build strong internal and external stakeholder relationships, ensuring seamless project execution.
• Manufacturing Engineering – Lead process planning, first article development, and production implementation.
• Tooling Engineering – Design and deploy high-precision tooling for efficient production.
• Materials & Processes – Drive material selection, process optimisation, and quality improvements.
• Quality Engineering – Conduct root cause analysis, corrective actions, and compliance activities.
• Industrial Engineering – Implement Lean production layouts and new product industrialisation.
• Configuration Management – Maintain accurate documentation, data integrity, and process improvements.

What You'll Bring

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:

Essential:

• Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Manufacturing Engineering within a regulated industry.
• Proven expertise in Zero Defect Manufacturing (ZDM) and problem-solving methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma Green Belt).
• Strong knowledge of quality systems (ISO9000, AS9100, or D1-9000).
• Experience in process planning, tooling design, materials selection, or quality engineering.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable:

• Experience in Project/Program Management.
• Familiarity with AS9145 APQP processes or equivalent.

What We'll Offer!

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

• Competitive salary dependant on experience
• Opportunity to earn up to 15% 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 your 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.

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