Maintenance Reliability Engineer

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Location: Bristol, GB

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

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

A Truly Global Business 
Every day, around the world, we help aircrafts fly further, faster and greener.  We’re the world’s leading tier one aerospace supplier of systems and components. Together as “one GKN” we’re moving our business and industry forward developing technologies that rapidly decarbonise aircraft, and innovating to help build a new generation of planes that produce zero emissions.  We’re putting sustainability at the heart of what we do; driving our objective to becoming a net zero greenhouse gas emissions business before 2050!

 

Our purpose-built, modern manufacturing facility at Western Approach (nr Severn Beach) is an International Centre of Excellence in composite wing structure design and production. With circa. 350 employees, we manufacture composite wing spars and Fixed Trailing Edge assemblies for some of the world's most popular aircraft. 

 

We are seeking a proactive and technically skilled Maintenance Reliability Engineer to join our advanced aerospace manufacturing facility, focused on the production of composite wing spars. This role is pivotal in enhancing equipment reliability, optimizing performance metrics such as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and OPE (Overall Process Effectiveness), and embedding TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) principles across the site.

How You'll Contribute

In this key role, you will:

Reliability & Performance Engineering:

  • Develop and implement reliability strategies for critical assets including autoclaves, CNC machines, composite layup and curing systems
  • Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to eliminate recurring issues
  • Monitor and improve OEE and OPE metrics through data analysis and targeted interventions
  • Support condition-based monitoring programs.

 

Maintenance Strategy & TPM:

  • Champion TPM initiatives, including autonomous maintenance, planned maintenance, and focused improvement
  • Collaborate with planners to optimize preventive and predictive maintenance schedules
  • Drive equipment uptime and reliability through structured TPM deployment and training.

 

Continuous Improvement:

  • Lead and participate in Continuous improvement events and Lean Six Sigma projects
  • Identify and implement improvements to reduce downtime, increase throughput, and enhance process stability.

 

Compliance & Documentation:

  • Ensure all maintenance activities comply with aerospace standards (AS9100, NADCAP)
  • Maintain accurate records of interventions, reliability metrics, and improvement actions using CMMS (e.g., SAP, Concept).

 

Project & Technical Support:

  • Provide reliability input into capital projects, equipment upgrades, and new installations
  • Support commissioning and validation of new assets with a focus on long-term reliability.

What You'll Bring

To help us make a difference, you’ll bring your passion and expertise/ talent for what you do along with thefollowing skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:

 

Qualifications & Experience:

    • HND/Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Aerospace Engineering (or equivalent)
    • Proven experience in reliability or maintenance engineering within aerospace or advanced manufacturing
    • Strong understanding of composite manufacturing processes and equipment
    • Familiarity with CMMS systems and performance metrics (OEE, OPE)
    • Certification in reliability engineering (e.g., CMRP) is desirable.

 

Skills & Attributes:

  • Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving skills
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team
  • Passion for continuous improvement and operational excellence.

 

What We Offer

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

  • Competitive salary dependent on experience
  • Up to 15% Bonus annually 
  • 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
  • Flexible working hours 
  • Income protection
  • Shopping discounts
  • Cycle To Work Scheme
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Virtual GP Clinic for you and immediate family
  • 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! 

 

#LI-SSGKN 

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. ​