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Position: Connector & Contact Design Engineer
Location: Europe Grade: 12 Employee Group: Permanent
About Smiths Interconnect
Smiths Interconnect is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance interconnect solutions. Our products are critical in mission-critical applications, including:
- Aerospace & defense
- Telecommunications
- Industrial markets
We are part of Smiths Group, a featured company spanning over 170 years, engineering for a safer, more efficient, and connected future. Operating across four markets—energy, security & defense, space & aerospace, and general industrial—we employ 16,000+ colleagues across 50+ countries, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Role Overview
As a Connector & Contact Design Engineer, you will drive innovation in cable, connector, and contact designs, collaborating across globally distributed teams to deliver cutting-edge solutions in aerospace, defense, and high-performance industries.
Key Responsibilities
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Technical design leadership:
- Develop detailed designs for contacts, insulators, cabling, latching mechanisms, and complex low-level ECCM systems in 2D/3D CAD systems (preference for SolidWorks).
- Support the Senior Design Engineer in military and aerospace applications, ensuring requirements are met.
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Design & prototyping:
- Coordinate functional and non-functional prototypes with internal manufacturing teams and external vendors.
- Lead design reviews, using calculations, experimental results, or research evidence to validate solutions.
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NPI alignment and support:
- Serve as a technical lead during New Product Introduction, including assisting in tooling adjustments for manufacturing.
- Provide technical support for existing products, ensuring performance integrity.
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Application of electrical engineering principles:
- Apply electromagnetic, analog, and digital principles applicable to connectors, contact materials, and cable development.
- Specify and generate test procedures, overseeing SDLC (System Design Life Cycle) testing where required.
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Risk & regulatory analysis:
- Perform risk assessments (e.g., Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA)) aligned with AS9100 standards.
- Ensure compliance with **military, aerospace specification documents (**EIA–364, MIL-DTL-5511, and others).
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Global project engagement (both domestic and international travel requirements applies).
Qualifications & Experience
Minimum Requirements
- Degree: Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent), preferably with a Master’s degree in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering (MSME).
- Experience:
- 5–7 years minimum in Military and/or Aerospace interconnect design, harnessing, or system integration.
- Technical competencies:
- Proficient in CAD software (preference for SolidWorks).
- Understanding of ANSYS (FEA) and MoldFlow (or equivalent CAE tools).
- Knowledge of polymers, metals, and coatings for aerospace/defense applications.
- Strong grasp of electrical engineering principles, particularly for high-power connectors and cable assemblies.
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Desired Qualifications
- System-level design & manufacturing: Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping, soldering, and member tube/box assembly.
- High-frequency & performance solutions:
- Familiarity with coaxial and fiber-optic connectors, including sealing and shielding.
- Experience with transmission line theory and digital signal transmission testing.
- Working knowledge of high-frequency RF applications (up to 40 GHz).
- Advanced manufacturing & assembly:
- Exposure to PCBA assembly (SMT, Pick & Place, IR Reflow).
- Experience with BGA (Ball Grid Array) packages and solder processing.
- Regulatory/mandatory specifications:
- Direct exposure to DOE/NASA/USA projects (manned/unmanned vehicle systems or electronic hardware).
- Experience with Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and standard problem-solving methods.
- Project management fundamentals:
- Proficiency in GANTT charts and risk management tools.
Benefits & Values
At Smiths, we embrace diversity, inclusion, and ethical excellence. Our principles ensure equality for all applicants, fostering a workplace where innovation thrives. Violations of ethics in the hiring process—for example, requests for payment—are firm against our policy. All legitimate applications should navigate our Careers Site (Careers - Smiths Group plc).
We are proudly proud of our dedication to purpose-driven engineering that enriches lives globally.
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