Principal Engineer – Design and Development

Acro Aircraft Seating is one of the UK's leading and fastest growing manufacturers of passenger seats for commercial airlines around the world. We are an agile, innovative business at the forefront of disrupting the aerospace market. Through modern methodologies, lean techniques, inspired innovation, and passion to be the best, Acro is positioning itself to be the world's leading aircraft seating supplier.

Collaboration is one of Acro's core values, by working together and applying our skills and expertise across Sales, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and Operations, we find the solutions to our clients' most complex challenges and how we deliver our promises today and tomorrow.

Job Description

As the Principal Engineer for Mechanical Design and Development, you will be responsible for setting and upholding the engineering standards for the Mechanical Design and Development function. This will include developing, maintaining and ensuring adherence to best-practice methodologies and processes. You will have technical ownership for all new product and be responsible for ensuring that component and assembly development is advancing in line with the Engineering Maturity Progression schedule, with respect to program timing, cost and weight targets.

Key Responsibilities

• To be the lead for the Mechanical Design and Development function within New Product Development, providing technical expertise and driving engineering excellence through all new projects.
• To develop the technical knowledge and capability of the engineering team through targeted coaching and knowledge sharing.
• To be responsible for the output of the stress team in terms of accuracy of analysis and correlation to physical test.
• To conduct design reviews, identify risks and mitigate these, through guidance and providing technical steer.
• To author, maintain and approve engineering standards documentation, including design guidelines and DFMEA's.
• To ensure effective design for manufacture, design for assembly and design for cost.
• To work in collaboration with the Stress team to continually develop and improve analysis methods and output.
• To work in collaboration with the Validation team, to ensure technical assumptions and certification requirements are aligned and understood.
• To work in collaboration with the Engineering Project Leads to drive engineering progression in line with Engineering Standards and program targets.
• To work in collaboration with the Chief Industrial Designer to balance the aesthetic and ergonomic intent with engineering robustness and alignment to engineering best practice.
• To build relationships and work collaboratively with all business disciplines, to drive effective cross-functional working.
• Be responsible for the cross-functional design review process, ensuring effective communication of technical concepts to all stakeholders.

Skills and experience required

• Strong Mechanical or related Engineering degree or equivalent.
• Extensive experience in mechanical component design and development.
• Experience in providing technical guidance and steering engineering teams through development projects.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to react quickly to high priority technical issues.
• Good understanding of aircraft seating, preferably economy class.
• Strong communicator, both verbally and written.

Our Benefits

• 25 Days holiday + Bank Holiday
• Pension
• Healthcare scheme
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Retail discounts
• Training opportunities
• 37.5 hours per week - 1 pm finish on a Friday
• Hybrid working (1 day per week working from home)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave.

We really want to hear from you, so don't miss your opportunity to join us Once you apply, your CV will be held on our central database. Please do let us know if you do not wish for us to retain your details. If your application is successful, you will be contacted in due course.

Acro Aircraft Seating is an equal opportunities employer.

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