Role Purpose

In this position you will be responsible for all aspects of the mechanical design to provide conceptual design support, maintain and develop the design integrity of products within a multi-disciplinary Engineering team for the CAS UK Value Stream programs.

As part of this role, you will be central to providing design support at all stages of the design process from initial requirements capture and proposal preparation, through detail design to manufacture and qualification. Quality of Design deliverables, adherence to procedures and knowledge of aircraft actuation equipment are key to the role. The Principal Engineer will play a major role in winning new business through the definition of technically discriminating and innovative products. You will also be responsible for the technical training and development of the electronics staff, as well as their continuous appraisals.

The Principal Engineer will need to work closely with the CAS VS programme and Integrated Product Team (IPT) leads to ensure tasks are adequately resourced and completed on schedule. Resource plans shall be maintained and updated regularly in support of CAS VS senior leadership reviews.

You will support new business opportunities and develop key customer relationships. You will also contribute to the development of the CAS VS strategy, including a technology roadmap and new business opportunities in conjunction with Business Development.

Key Accountabilities

• Generation of design concepts and configurations of a wide range of Electro-Mechanical Actuation systems which consist of electrical or mechanical elements. i.e, Circuit Card Assemblies, power supply, various types of gearboxes, ballscrews, Motors, sensors etc.

• Design support at all stages of the design process from initial requirements capture and proposal preparation, through detail design to manufacture and qualification within a multi-disciplinary engineering team, including but not limited to: -

• Ensuring adherence to the design process whilst meeting timescale requirements.

• Developing optimised product designs in terms of cost, weight and robustness by challenging existing designs and offering new ideas.

• Liaising with customers and suppliers to resolve design issues.

• Ensuring correct installation between CAS UK and customer interfacing equipment.

• Presentations internally and to customers for design reviews.

• Overviewing and/or delivering high quality manufacturing data packages by both leading a detail design team and producing tolerance analysis and manufacturing drawings.

• Ensuring the product design is complete in terms of addressing all robustness and in-service requirements as well as customer and regulatory authority requirements

• Being involved in problem solving activities throughout the manufacturing, qualification and ‘in service’ phases of a project.

• Responsible within the multi-disciplinary engineering team for ensuring that design engineering procedures and work instructions are implemented in a consistent and rigorous way.

• Being involved in Risk Analysis activities, the identification of risk and agreement on the method of mitigation (analysis, test comparison etc.)

• Provide design engineering oversight to project planning and execution of design work packages to ensure that all design engineering activities are defined.

• Lead a Design group within a multi-disciplinary engineering project team.

• Provide Design engineering support and direction for junior designers, graduate recruits, student placements and students on work experience within the multi-disciplinary engineering project team. 

• Responsible for approving design engineering documentation for which authorisation to approve has been granted.

Skills Experience

• Degree or engineering equivalent with appropriate experience (preferably Mechanical Engineering).

• Strong aerospace design engineering background (over 5 years) with knowledge of machine design and electro-mechanical equipment product configurations.

• Familiar with military and Defense aerospace systems and associated requirements. Preferably Control Actuation Systems and Thrust Vector Actuation.

• Expert CAD user (Over 3 years experience minimum in Siemens NX or CATIA)

• Experience of Teamcenter PLM system

• Operates with the highest level of personal integrity.

• Able to work under own initiative, calm under pressure and responsive to change.

• Logical approach to technical problem resolution and decision making.

• Ability to lead small teams

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Able to operate all levels within the organisation.

• Computer literate; familiar with general PC software (e.g. Windows, MS Office).

• Process compliance driven.

• Ability to coach and mentor others.