Design and Certification Specialist

Design and Certification Specialist – Electrical and Avionics

We are the UK's aviation regulator and recognised as a world leader in our field.  Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, priding ourselves on our ability to adapt in a continually evolving aviation environment.

Salary: Up to £82,000k per annum dependant on experience and completion of training

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time

Location: Gatwick / Hybrid Working

Visa Restrictions: This position does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Security Level: SC

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance. To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years. For more information on SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK )

The Role: The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is expanding its team of Design and Certification Specialists to support our state of design responsibility for traditional fixed/rotary wing and innovative air vehicles.

The Electrical and Avionics team are looking for aerospace engineers with any relevant development or certification experience to develop into a Design and Certification Specialist.  Applications from individuals with experience in one or more of the following 'related/specific areas' of electrical and avionics across any fixed or rotary wing aircraft will be considered.

Electrical

Avionics

Related/specific areas:

• Electrical generation and distribution including high voltage systems.
• Electric motor drives
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
• High Intensity Radiated Field (HIRF) and lightning direct/indirect effects.
• Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS)
• Lighting
• In-flight entertainment (IFE) and power outlets
• Wireless transmission capabilities

Related/specific areas:

• Autoflight systems
• Communications, navigation, and surveillance systems
• Flight Management Systems (FMS)
• Indicating, alerting, and recording systems, diagnostic and maintenance systems
• Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA)
• Cybersecurity
• Development assurance at system or aircraft level
• Software
• Airborne Electronic Hardware (AEH)
• C2 Links – Command and Control

Your main role will be the technical involvement with certification projects and related continued airworthiness activities.  It will also involve liaison with the UK industry for certification & oversight activities along with other aviation authorities such as European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) through existing and developing working arrangements.

This role is based on a Hybrid model. Some on-site visits to our Head Office, Gatwick (our Base) or to design organisations around the UK may be required.

About You: The desire to continually develop experience through project involvement and dedicated training with the flexibility to contribute more generally to other areas of the Design and Certification team.  An engineering degree, equivalent qualification or demonstrated industry experience.

Proven aerospace experience, preferably working for an approved aerospace organisation with the ability to lead, guide, challenge and influence technical decisions on multiple projects.

You will have an engineering degree, equivalent qualification or demonstrated industry experience, with a proven aerospace experience, preferably working for an approved aerospace organisation with the ability to lead, guide, challenge and influence technical decisions on multiple projects.

Essential Criteria

• Core design background or CVE experience within the electrical, avionics or software disciplines.
• Ability to monitor, guide and manage technical decisions on a range of major safety issues.
• Operate in various cultural business environments at varying levels of seniority.
• Using experience to make sound judgments.
• Resilience to work at pace and on various matters with the appropriate level of input.
• Able to understand specialist issues and modulate technical views to account for wider business and political considerations.
• Confidence to challenge information, propositions, or assumptions, at a deep technical nature and across a range of disciplines.
• Confidence to escalate issues as they arise.
• Confident to communicate at all levels, to conduct technical conversation and engage with all internal and external stakeholders.
• Attention to detail and through report writing and delivery of information to support outputs.

Desirable Criteria:

• Demonstratable experience with working with other national aviation authorities such as EASA, FAA, ANAC, TCCA and other NAAs.
• Experience of working across the broad spectrum of aviation and demonstratable understanding of product design, manufacture and airline operations.

What Can We Offer You:  The opportunity to work with and learn from a friendly and vastly experienced team that is committed to each other, adaptable and open to learn and change in its ways of working, both in terms of adopting new approaches to gain efficiencies and to reflect the challenges that have and will continue to face us and the travel industry.

Training and development are important, and we will work with you to identify appropriate training opportunities and support a learning culture.

Relocation & Property: - The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House, Our Gatwick/Crawley Office. We are currently working to understand our needs before we start our property search, which is expected to be within a 15mile radius of our current base, but we do not expect to move before 2028.

Inclusive Recruitment: We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Working With Us: We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us. 

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free on-site gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more

Our Values: Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here
  

Closing Date: 18th Nov 2025

Interview Date: TBC

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.