GKN Aerospace Careers
Engineer - Design
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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 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.
Job Summary
Our East Cowes plants, Isle of Wight are where we design, manufacture, test and repair high performance structures and systems. We have two facilities on the Island; Falcon Yard, Ferry Road and Osborne Site, Saunders Way. Both locations employ the company’s distinct competencies in major assemblies and composite structures for the global aerospace market. Our customer base includes Airbus, Astronics, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna, Cobham, Honeywell, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce and Triumph.
Sitting within our Design Engineering team with the flexibility to work from home for up to 2 days per week dependent on the needs of the business, the Design Engineer will develop, integrate and implement technical solutions for some of our most high-profile programmes of work. In so doing, our new Engineer will help to ensure designs are compliant with all relevant customer, regulatory, and airworthiness requirements and internal standards within the programme, schedule, and manufacturing constraints.
How You'll Contribute
The Design Engineer will contribute to the following:
- Shared responsibility in the design of structural aircraft and helicopter components, identifying technical problems and creating technical solutions.
- Work with both metal and composite structures and different assembly techniques.
- Be part of a multidisciplinary team together with stress engineers, manufacturing engineers, cost engineers and tooling engineers.
- Support working in all phases of a programme, starting with the conceptual phase (possibly at the site of the customer), the full-scale phase in which the detailed design is translated into product drawings/ models, up to the product maturation phase assisting with problems during manufacturing and proposing changes to the detailed design in order to contribute to weight and cost savings.
- Integration of all requirements and input from other engineering disciplines into the conceptual and detailed design, such that the product definition can be made and a cost-efficient and producible design is achieved.
- Use a variety of methods and tools, for example CAD and PLM software.
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What You'll Bring
Essential:
- Significant design engineering experience gained within highly regulated manufacturing environment such as the Aerospace, Pharmaceutical, Energy or Automotive industries
- Experience of translating technical information to a wider technical and none technical audience
- Experience of using CATIA V5
- Experience of problem solving using recognised toolsets
- Experience of engaging with external customers and suppliers to understand requirements and build relationships
Desirable:
- A BSc or MSc degree in aerospace, mechanical or industrial design engineering
- Experience of a Design Engineer role within the Aerospace sector
We are looking for people who want to make a difference, talented members with the skills and passions to become the best of the future in what they do. The Design Engineer will be an ambitious, inquisitive and credible professional who is able to work on their own initiative whilst contributing to team success through change activities and continuous two way communication with diversity, flexibility and sensitivity in mind. The incumbent will possess excellent commercial acumen and be focused on continuous improvement and problem solving through an evidence based methodical approach.
What We'll Offer
Once you’re on board you’ll get the following perks and benefits:
- A competitive salary dependent on experience
- 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
- 190 hours holiday + bank holidays
- Income protection
- Shopping discounts
- Cycle To Work Scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- A collaborative, dynamic working environment
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Hybrid Work Approach
We understand our employees thrive by working differently, what works for one may not work for another, offering different ways of working is core to us creating a great employee experience. We’re pleased to provide a hybrid working approach enabling you to balance your time between working remotely and working in our offices.
We’re also keen for our employees to achieve a work life balance so we’re happy to discuss flexible working options with you should the role be able to accommodate it.
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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