Principal Engineer (Aircraft Fuel Systems Architect)

About GKN Aerospace

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. With over 15,000 employees across 41 manufacturing sites in 13 countries serving over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers with sales of £2.8bn. 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! 

Making a Difference 
It’s great to know you’re making a difference to the future of aviation! Whatever part you play you’ll be helping us deliver operational excellence to our customers.

Job Summary

GKN is actively engaged in a series of major, multi £M development programmes with the long term aim of enabling zero emission flight on a series of new aircraft programmes.  We want to enable the complete electrification of Aircraft powered by Liquid Hydrogen, Fuel cells and Cryogenically cooled networks and motors. As such we’ve already built up a significant capability with an international team of over 70 specialist Engineers working on Liquid Hydrogen based propulsion systems, including storage (tanks), Fuel management, Fuel cells, Electrical networks, Motors and Inverters, with Cryogenics being an enabling technology. This ground breaking technology is maturing rapidly and we’re searching for specialist Engineers and Scientists who want to work with us in this rapidly changing, dynamic, multifunctional environment to help us push further and faster as we win more programmes and the market accelerates.

We are seeking to recruit an Aircraft Fuel Systems Architect who can operate at the highest of levels (Technical Authority/Fellow). Responsible within the Global CTO organization for Horizon 3 fuel system developments from requirements elucidation through to systems implementation and in service operation. In this role you will lead a multidisciplinary team of engineers developing the holistic fuel system. Your initial focus will be on the research and development of hydrogen fuel systems for the next generation of zero emission aerospace vehicles where you will lead the fuel systems development of a large hydrogen fuel system working closely with the Cryogenic Architect/TA and the Aircraft System Architect/TA. On top of the above, we are also looking for someone who will inspire minds, lead process with the local and transnational systems teams. The role will contribute to the development, coaching and positioning of internal capability strategically for the Engineering & Technology (E&T) team within GKN. This is an exciting and potentially career defining opportunity. You will be an integral member of a team that is embarking on a significant and challenging technology development project; this project will be a major steppingstone towards achieving greener aviation thus helping protect our environment for future generations.
 

Job Responsibilities

• Responsible for the development of Horizon 3 fuel systems with a focus on the development of hydrogen fuel systems reporting to the Lead Architect or the Product Group Director New Air-Vehicle Concepts.
• Responsible of ensuring the development of optimal (at air-vehicle level) holistic Horizon 3 fuel systems from architectural level through to hardware and software embodiment at item and component level. Particularly responsible of optimal fuel systems architectures development. 
• Ensure that systems requirements are captured, managed and developed into design solutions and validated products
• Manage the fuel systems team, potentially consisting of programme partners, Supplier Managers, Systems Engineers and University Partners.
• Manage and maintain system work package budgets, reporting and schedule, including forecasting resources required.
• Ensures the development and insertion of Technology Development Plans (TDP), cost models and Technology Business Cases (TBC) for system technologies
• Work as a key member of the Systems Community of Practice (CoP) and Center of Competence (CoC) further developing systems engineering capability across GKN Aerospace globally.
• Work alongside legal and procurement organization to oversee related equipment subcontracts through appoint subsystem responsible to ensure on time, on cost and on quality delivery to the project.
• Ensure that verification planning and test requirements capture system requirements and are adequately validated.
• Maintain compliance with all risk assessments and company Environment, Health & Safety Procedures relevant to all work activities. 
• Provide technical support to regulatory discussions with governing bodies (CAA-UK/CAA-NL/FAA/EASA)
   

How You'll Contribute

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

Essential:

• Degree qualified in Engineering/science subject 
• Experience in the architectural development of aircraft fuel systems
• Experience in Functional systems development (e.g. SPARX EA, Ansys SCADE Architect/Suite and/or Rhapsody)
• Experience in safety assessment, including FHA, FTA, etc (e.g. ISOGRAPH)
• Experience in multi-domain physical modelling (e.g. MATLAB/Simulink/Simscape and/or Simcenter etc.)

Desirable:

• Experience in requirements based engineering (e.g. DOORs NG).
• Experience in aircraft design and the impact upon fuel systems architectural development and vice versa.
• Experience in regulatory requirements and the background of SFAR88
• Experience in the architectural development of hydrogen systems.
• Experience in hydrogen systems and/or cryogenic systems.
• Experience in the bow-tie method for hazard assessment.
• Experience using CAD with the ability to create physical architectures with CATIA v5.
• Experience in aerospace hardware and software development to DO178 and DO254.
• Experience of working within an R&D environment with a focus on delivery to industry

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. To be successful in this role you must have excellent communication skill both verbal and written with the ability to translate to a variety of audiences. You will be a strong self-starter, competent to work with general goal-based direction as well as more specific task-based requirements. We are looking for someone with the skill to propose routes to solving complex problems, using both standard approaches as well as new and novel techniques. 
 

What We'll Offer

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

• Competitive dependent on experience
• £5,500 car allowance per annum
• Opportunity to earn up to 22.5% bonus 
• 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
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Income protection
• Shopping discounts
• Cycle To Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 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! 
 

Why Join Us

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working
Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN.  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’ last year.  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.

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. 

Join us and keep the world moving … click on the link below to apply

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