Lead Design Engineer - Aerospace

Position: Lead Design Engineer

Reports to: Head of Actuation Products, UK

Responsible for: Hydromechanical Design

Location: Cheltenham or Deeside (office-based)

Working Pattern: Nominally 37 hours per week over 4 or 5 days; additional hours may be required to meet business commitments.

Travel: Occasional travel within the UK and overseas to customers or other company sites. Language Skills: English required, with knowledge of additional languages being desirable.
Role Purpose: This position involves leading the design and support activities for actuation products, including hydraulic and electro-mechanical systems. The role spans the entire product lifecycle, from New Product Introduction (NPI) to supporting and modifying in-service products for high-profile aerospace programs and clients. The role also entails mentoring junior team members by sharing technical knowledge and expertise to foster their growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and modify design documentation.
• Collaborate with internal and external customers.
• Design test rigs and equipment.
• Interpret customer requirements and specifications.
• Identify and communicate technical risks to project stakeholders.
• Present technical solutions at both internal and external design reviews.
• Lead cross-functional teams, resolving design issues, ATP failures, and customer returns or failures.
• Support engineering changes using documentation control tools (e.g., Windchill).
• Oversee and review the work of other engineers.
• Mentor junior engineers.
• Review and update design guides to reflect lessons learned and advancements in technology.

Technical Requirements:

• A strong engineering background, typically supported by a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering (or equivalent qualifications/experience).
• Proven experience delivering engineering designs in highly regulated industries, such as aerospace, with a good understanding of relevant standards and regulations.
• Knowledge of reliability, safety, airworthiness, production methods, materials and processes, as well as stress and performance analysis.
• Experience designing mechanical and/or hydraulic products, preferably in aviation, using 2D and 3D design tools such as SolidWorks.
• Demonstrable experience designing gears and working with mechanical components, geometric tolerancing, processing, precision machining, castings, forgings, and metallic materials.
• Familiarity with military and industry standards, as well as drivers for procurement, design for manufacture, production, and quality.
• Proficiency in design and analysis tools (e.g., DFMEA, Mathcad, FEA).
• Experience using problem-solving tools (e.g., 8D, 5Why, Lean tools).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, along with mentoring capabilities.

Behavioural Skills:

• Demonstrates integrity, self-motivation, and a proactive approach.
• Drives continuous improvement and delivers innovative solutions.
• Collaborates effectively with cross-disciplinary teams to optimize design solutions.
• Maintains a commitment to delivering on schedule.

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