Principal Manufacturing Engineer

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity set 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.

It's boarding time!

For our production site at Papendrecht, we are looking for a Principal Manufacturing Engineer. In this role, you provide technical expertise at the site and program level, for operational and development programs, to enable and deliver zero defect projects. Utilizing engineering and problem solving skills, you are accountable for delivering robust, capable manufacturing process technology as it applies to materials, tooling, part fabrication and assembly.

What you'll do

• Exemplify a safety-first mind-set and ensure compliance with the GKN Aerospace Health, Safety and Environmental policies and standards.
• Provide technical expertise at a site and program level, in governance and deployment of manufacturing development and integration for production within GKN Aerospace.
• Rapidly solve issues pertaining to customer schedule and/or quality.
• Break down technical problems, risks, and opportunities in the correct order to create products and add value to GKN Aerospace through creating Zero Defects processes.
• Lead positive, team relationships with internal and external customers.
• Participate in change board and configuration management plan. Be a fully competent Technical Community Member, understanding relationships between other disciplines and what influences them.
• Ensure manufacturing definitions of the value stream are according to global, customer, and authority regulations.
• Provide site and program technical oversight for industrial engineering support of manufacturing process development and integration for production.
• Be responsible for the first time right output of the Manufacturing Engineering (ME) team.
• Technically lead the ME team, and implement continuous improvements to guarantee the most efficient way of working.

What you'll bring

• Technical expertise in Manufacturing Engineering, with a professional qualification or background (university working level) in engineering; Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical.
• A recognized authority and presenter of the program in the field, for customers and as a source of information for others.
• Capable of taking a strategic view.
• Operate with minimal supervision in a complex environment, demonstrating detailed knowledge in aerospace programs.
• Identify and anticipate technical problems and customer requirements; offer solutions and apply them.
• Apply knowledge and skills to a range of activities, acting as a source of technical expertise to others.
• Provide input to strategic and other issues which affect the business internally and externally.
• Coordinate and coach teams to meet challenging technical and customer needs.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering in aerospace is preferred.
• Detailed knowledge of quality system models such as ISO9000, AS9100, D1-9000.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
• Strong commercial awareness.

What we'll offer

• We are committed to offering you a challenge and a great opportunity to learn and grow.
• Your career can go in many directions thanks to our breadth of international opportunities.
• By being part of GKN Aerospace, which has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry, you will be working towards being the most trusted partner in the aerospace industry.
• We will support and promote your professional and personal development.
• The role is in Grade L2, according to the CLA Metalektro.
• 8% holiday allowance.
• 42 paid holidays for full-time employment in line with the Collective Labor Agreement Metalektro.
• An excellent pension scheme (PME) and travel allowance.
• A pleasant and informal working environment, in which we work together to achieve the best result for our customers.
• Next to a competitive package, we will offer you a world of opportunities: we want to see your career fly!
• We will support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities.

Who we are

Fokker Elmo, part of GKN Aerospace, is a leading player in the design, manufacturing, and support for the Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) for Aerospace and Defense programs. To make the wiring harnesses, we have everything in-house from start to finish. From complete engineering to our final product, the ready-to-use wiring harnesses, we do this for well-known aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Collins Aerospace, and Lockheed-Martin. We produce these wiring harnesses worldwide at several sites. In Papendrecht, we have approximately 1200 employees. This is what Fokker Elmo is all about: quality and therefore airworthiness.

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

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.