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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

Situated within our £32m state of the art Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Filton, Bristol, and as a result of continued growth across our programmes, a position has arisen for a Senior Research Engineer with a background in advanced composite manufacturing process development for bonded structures working on developing advanced composite manufacturing processes for current and future wing applications to help shape the future of flight.

As a Senior Research Engineer you will draw on your diverse engineering background and product lifecycle awareness to progress a variety of research activity in the TRL1-6 range. You will possess demonstrable experience in taking control of technical work, including budgeting, schedule and risk management. You will be capable of achieving through others internally and externally, and you will be invested in the development of your own skills and professional network. Your good communication skills shall enable you to proficiently engage with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.

This is a really exciting and potentially career defining opportunity. You will be an integral member of a team that is embarking on a three year significant and stimulating technology development project which will be a major steppingstone towards achieving greener aviation, thus helping protect our environment for future generations.

Job Responsibilities

This opportunity will see you involved with some, but not limited to the following activities:

• Take control in the preparation of Technology Development Plans and Technology Business Cases within your project(s); raising and issuing high quality and detailed technical documentation

• Drive project(s) toward exploitation, identifying and contributing towards industrialisation scenario development

• Contribute or take control of any necessary 'hands on' development test work and development trials that are required to meet your Work Package/Work Stream delivery goals..

• Contribute in project stakeholder management with internal/external customers, and you may take control of management of supply chain partners in some cases.

• You may be asked to take control of line management of core Technology Team members i.e. Research Engineers assigned to your Workstream or project, or management of deployed team members

Job Qualifications

In order to be successful in this role you will bring the following experience and attributes:

Essential

• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of composite materials and manufacturing methods; Test equipment utilisation and definition

• Detailed academic / practical knowledge of bonding processes and materials

• Knowledge of bonded joint failure mechanisms

• Bagging and preparation of test specimens composite components for cure and results analysis.

• Detailed technical knowledge of a variety of Carbon fibre materials, matrices and associated processing options, both manual and automated.

• Tool design, handling, preparation and cleaning.

• Aerospace composite product design requirements with a Design for Manufacture thought process

• Recognised first degree and experience in Mechanical, Materials, Chemical Science or Aerospace Engineering with demonstrated experience in composite process development, preferably in the aerospace sector

  Desirable

• Trained in the use of relevant testing equipment

• Experience of specimen preparation and examination, including microscopy

• Operation of resin mixing and injection equipment

• Experience in the post-processing of cured composite structures; machining, hand finishing, drilling etc.

• Knowledge of standard metrology and part verification techniques and previous experience with manual NDT techniques.

• Aerospace background preferred but relevant experience from other industries is welcomed.

• A higher degree qualification such as a Masters, PhD or EngD. Chartered Engineer with a relevant institution

What We'll Offer:

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

• Competitive salary

• Opportunity to earn up to 15% bonus

• 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. ​

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