Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Chemical Processes

About GKN Aerospace

A great place to work needs a great way of working; support us making GKN the trusted and most sustainable partner in the sky for our customers.
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 38 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. Based at our Luton manufacturing plant you’ll do just that. Established in 1993, GKN Aerospace in Luton is a world leader in commercial and military ice protection systems and transparencies. Offering a full range of capabilities; design, analysis, testing, certification and manufacture of electro-thermal ice protection, military fast jet canopies and flight deck windows to over 20 programmes including: Boeing 787, Dreamliner, Airbus A320, AgustaWestland, AW101, Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed, Martin F-22 Raptor. Our customers include Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopters, Textron, BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Leonardo. Our Luton site is home to 400+ employees and onsite facilities including onsite parking, canteen, vending machines and showers.
 

Job Summary

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Chemical Processes will be based at our Luton site supporting our Defence business line whilst reporting to the Manufacturing Engineering Manager, there is the flexibility to work from home for up to 1 day per week dependent on the needs of the business. The Senior Manufacturing Chemical Engineer will provide manufacturing engineering capability to operational and development programmes enabling and delivering zero defect projects through engineering and problem solving. The incumbent will be accountable for delivering robust manufacturing process technology applicable to materials, tooling, part fabrication and assembly with a focus on transparency solutions and supporting products and processes involving materials and coating chemistry within the manufacturing engineering team. The Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Chemical Processes will exemplify a safety-first mind-set ensuring compliance with the GKN Aerospace Health, Safety and Environmental policies and standards including using chemical knowledge to support risk & CoSHH assessments. 
 

Job Responsibilities

To provide technical production and analytical support:

• Lead technical response to chemical process related issues & advise colleagues
• Lead production support to assess any chemical process deviations or product faults and support sentencing to requirements / inspection standards
• Complete incoming material acceptance & re-life testing
• Lead activities to continuously improve chemistry facilities and processes
• Complete chemical analysis required to support problem solving  

To measure process capability & improve:

• Measure and improve performance / process capability of coating and other chemical processes
• Lead projects to reduce coating and chemical process driven scrap and rework 
• Utilise structured problem solving tools to drive root cause analysis
• Own process failure mode effects analysis for coating and chemical processes and drive down Risk Priority number (RPN) and implement Control Charts    

To control and maintain production documentation:

• Create and update documentation to validate change and manage point of introduction activities including first article inspection
• Standardise coating mixing and other chemical processes mixing and application instructions for operations to ensure error proofing  

To support new process & equipment definition:

• Interact with customers and design engineers to understand requirements 
• Define chemical process equipment specification and support supplier selection 
• Lead commissioning and validation of new chemical processes  

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:

• A BSc Degree or equivalent in a Chemistry or forensic science related discipline
• Chemical engineering, analytical chemistry or forensic science experience
• Experience from of working in a manufacturing environment  
• Experience of structured problem solving analysis (i.e. 8D etc)
• Experience of using statistical process control including control charts
• Experience in APQP and PAPP standards including Process Flow Diagram, Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis, Process Control Plans, Measurement System Analysis and Process Capability 
• Experience of report writing and specification development
• Competency in Microsoft Office Products including Excel & Word

Desirable:

• Experience of chemical coatings, process control or formulation
• Six Sigma qualification i.e. Green Belt or Black belt
• Experience working with Design of Experiments (DoE)
• Experience of statistical process control software i.e. Minitab 
• Experience of coatings/thin film technology for environmental protection
• Experience in chemical process automation design, commissioning & problem solving 

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 Senior Chemical Engineer will be a flexible, hands on and analytical self-starter with a can-do attitude and a structured and tenacious approach to problem solving as well as the ability to communicate effectively and collaborate at all levels within an organisation. The ideal candidate will be ambitious with a keen interest in applying chemistry in an engineering environment and be able to demonstrate strong prioritisation and influencing skills.

Security Clearance is required prior to commencing employment for this position. 

What We'll Offer

Once you’re on board you’ll get the following perks and benefits:
•    £36,292 to £45,365 per annum dependent on experience
•    Industry Leading Pension Scheme = we’ll match your contributions up to 8% on a 1 : 1.5 basis
•    The opportunity to earn up to 15% bonus 
•    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’ 2021 and this year we have been named among the best places to work in the UK by job comparison website Breakroom.  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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