At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead certification activities and solve complex compliance challenges in aerospace.
- Company: Join Collins Aerospace, a leader in innovative aircraft interiors.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous pension, hybrid working, and wellness initiatives.
- Other info: Collaborative global environment with significant autonomy and career growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of aerospace and mentor the next generation of engineers.
- Qualifications: Bachelor's in Engineering with extensive aerospace certification experience.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
At Collins Aerospace, we're redefining the future of aircraft interiors. Our Interiors business designs and delivers innovative cabin solutions that make air travel safer, more comfortable, and more connected for millions of passengers worldwide. Working with leading airlines and aircraft manufacturers, our teams combine engineering excellence with a relentless focus on safety, quality, and customer experience.
This opportunity is based at our Leighton Buzzard site and offers a hybrid working model, providing flexibility while enabling collaboration with our global engineering and certification teams. With manufacturing and engineering sites across the globe, you'll join a collaborative international organisation where your expertise can influence products flying on aircraft around the world.
We're now seeking a Principal Certification Engineer to join our global Certification & Test team. This is an opportunity to play a key technical leadership role, shaping certification strategies, solving complex compliance challenges, and mentoring the next generation of certification engineers.
What You Will DoAs a Principal Certification Engineer, you will serve as a technical authority and trusted advisor, leading qualification and certification activities to ensure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements. You will:
- Lead certification and qualification activities across complex aerospace programmes.
- Develop certification strategies that balance compliance, customer requirements, safety, and business objectives.
- Act as the go-to technical expert for certification challenges and complex compliance issues.
- Lead cross‑functional teams to investigate, solve, and implement certification solutions.
- Build strong relationships with customers, programme teams, regulatory stakeholders, and engineering functions.
- Review and approve certification deliverables against customer and regulatory requirements.
- Communicate certification risks, compliance approaches, and technical recommendations clearly to stakeholders.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across certification processes, tools, templates, and best practices.
- Mentor and develop engineers through coaching, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing.
- Collaborate with global engineering teams across multiple international locations.
This role offers significant autonomy, technical ownership, and the opportunity to influence certification strategy across a global engineering organisation.
What You Must Have- Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Engineering, ideally Aerospace Engineering.
- Extensive experience in aerospace certification within the commercial aviation industry.
- Strong understanding of certification processes and compliance requirements.
- Proven ability to lead technical problem‑solving activities and drive successful outcomes.
- Experience influencing stakeholders and communicating complex technical information effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop engineers.
- A proactive, solutions‑focused mindset with a strong commitment to safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.
- Experience within aircraft interiors certification.
- Strong knowledge of aerospace regulatory frameworks including Part 21 and CS-25.
- Experience leading technical teams as a people leader or technical authority.
- Experience supporting organisational capability development and engineering excellence initiatives.
- Experience with fire properties certification.
- Current or previous CVE or Approver status.
At Collins Aerospace, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing an environment where talented professionals can thrive, develop, and make a meaningful impact. Our benefits include:
- Competitive salary and annual bonus
- Generous 2:1 pension scheme with employer contributions up to 10%
- 25 days annual leave plus public holidays
- Private Health Cover
- Group Income Protection
- Life Assurance
- Hybrid and flexible working options
- Early finish Fridays
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Wellness and wellbeing initiatives
- Employee recognition programmes
- Free onsite parking
Ready to Help Shape the Future of Aerospace? If you're an experienced certification professional looking to influence global aerospace programmes, lead technical excellence, and develop engineering talent, we'd love to hear from you. Join Collins Aerospace and help deliver the next generation of aircraft interior solutions.
Hybrid: Employees who are working in Hybrid roles will work regularly both onsite and offsite. Ratio of time working onsite will be determined in partnership with your leader.
Principal Certification Engineer - (Technical Authority) employer: Collins Aerospace
At Collins Aerospace, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation thrives. Our Leighton Buzzard site offers a hybrid working model that promotes flexibility while ensuring collaboration with our global teams. With a strong commitment to employee development, competitive benefits, and a culture that values safety and quality, we empower our Principal Certification Engineers to lead impactful projects and mentor the next generation of talent in the aerospace industry.
