Design and Certification Specialist - Airframe & Transmissions

Location: Gatwick, GB

Salary: £68,000–£72,000 plus a market related supplement

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time

Location: Gatwick / Hybrid

Required Security Level: SC

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

The Role: Your main role will be technical involvement with certification projects and continued airworthiness activities. This will involve liaison with UK industry for certification & oversight activities, and engagement on international projects with other aviation authorities such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). You will support the business plan and the wider CAA, specifically with respect to meeting UK’s obligations in accordance with the Basic Regulation UK Reg (EU) 2018/1139 and ICAO’s standards for State of Design. Reporting to the Design & Certification Principal Specialist for Airframe and Transmissions, your primary function will be the technical investigation, analysis and approval of certification projects with respect to the structures discipline. You will also support the understanding and resolution of structure‑related continued airworthiness issues affecting fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Core Accountabilities

• The assessment of fixed and rotary wing aircraft designs and design changes, with respect to structural aspects, and making recommendations for their approval.
• Validation of non‑UK certifying authorities’ design approvals in accordance with international working agreements.
• Investigation of UK Design Organisations in relation to CAA Part 21 Subpart J design organisation approval.
• Ensuring in‑service defects on aerospace products, including Mandatory Occurrence Reports, are investigated and that all necessary actions are taken to maintain safety standards.
• Taking direct airworthiness safety intervention measures where necessary in response to in‑service difficulties, incidents and accidents to ensure continued safety of participants and third parties.
• Escalating significant safety matters in accordance with the CAA regulatory safety management system (RSMS).
• Acting as Project Certification Manager (PCM) where required to coordinate projects or specialists in specific technical disciplines.
• Engaging with industry and regulators to ensure the CAA remains appraised of future projects, proposed introduction and development of new and innovative technologies, and any associated proposals requiring new regulation development.
• Clarifying existing requirements and contributing to the development of new ones to address new technology, novel applications of existing technology, and novel proposals for compliance demonstration.
• Identifying and coordinating research or contributing into areas of significant airworthiness concern.
• Representing the CAA in decision‑making committees and working groups, internally and externally, nationally and internationally from a design standpoint.
• Liaising with other regulators and accident investigation bodies on accidents and events and their ICAO Annex 13 investigations or equivalents.

About You

You will ideally have an engineering degree and experience of aircraft airframe or transmissions design and/or certification. This can be from either fixed wing, rotary wing or E‑VTOL aircraft applications. One or more of the following aspects of airframe or transmission design related experience will be required:

• Static strength / stress analysis
• Fatigue and damage tolerance
• Materials and manufacturing
• Crashworthiness, decompression, and impact conditions
• Loads, weight and balance
• Aeroelasticity, vibration and buffeting
• Manufacturing processes and NDT techniques

Suitable candidates should also have a 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.

Other Essential Criteria

• Able to evidence working experience within an aircraft stress department working on aircraft and/or major design modifications or STCs
• Stress signatory or CVE level experience
• Practical and pragmatic approach to structural analysis
• Understanding of structural analysis from first principles
• Confidence in guiding, influencing and challenging technical decisions
• Knowledge of the certification process
• Ability to communicate confidently in various environments and at varying levels of seniority
• Demonstrable skill in operating across a broad set of cultural and business environments
• Able to monitor, guide and manage technical decisions on a range of major safety issues

Additional Security Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or nationally protected information. Post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance. For this role a minimum period of 5 years residency in the UK is required for vetting.

Benefits

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

Inclusive Recruitment

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.