Manufacturing Engineer – Tooling in Gloucester

Make sure the tooling is ready for the future of flight. At Dowty, a GE Aerospace company, we design, manufacture, repair and overhaul propeller systems for Military and Civil applications from our state-of-the-art facility in Gloucestershire, UK. Our propeller expertise is helping inform the development of Open Fan technology through the CFM RISE program.

As a Manufacturing Engineer – Tooling, you will join our Manufacturing Engineering team on an 18-month fixed-term contract with a clear goal: making sure the tooling for our next design iteration is defined, delivered, proven and ready to use. You will own a long list of tooling items from first request to shop floor, and help turn design intent into tooling that makes robust, repeatable production possible.

You will work closely with design, sourcing, quality, health and safety, our internal 3D printing capability and the shop floor, and report into an experienced lead engineer who will help you get up to speed. Curiosity, an organised and hands-on approach and a structured way of solving problems matter as much as the technical detail. The focus of your work will be shaped around your experience and the needs of the team, so we are looking for someone who enjoys learning and is comfortable with variety.

What you’ll do:

• Define what we need. You will turn manufacturing requirements into clear Statements of Work (SoW), Tool Design Specifications (TDS) and Tooling and Equipment (T&E) lists for all work streams, and guide the tooling design team through each design iteration.
• Run the tooling list like a project. You will own the plan, priorities and status of every item from request to commissioning, chasing actions and flagging risks early so that tools arrive when the build needs them.
• Govern sourcing. You will give technical input and prioritisation to the sourcing team for RFQs, help select suitable suppliers, and make sure tooling is sourced consistently, to the right standard and with quality and delivery managed.
• Keep control of cost. You will track the cost of each tooling item and keep it up to date, understanding what is capital expenditure and what is not.
• Make the most of in-house 3D printing. You will plan which tools can be printed internally based on need and priority within our print schedule, and help coordinate, and where suitable carry out, their production.
• Prove it and get it into use. You will approve tooling drawings with SME and Health and Safety input, take an active part in trials to prove tooling, and provide technical input through installation and commissioning.
• Fix it when it doesn’t work. You will solve problems with structured methods such as 8D, Lean and Six Sigma, and where proven tooling does not perform as intended, drive the Engineering Change Notice (ECN) for an update or coordinate the fix with input from the subject matter expert (SME).
• Write it down and train it. You will author and improve clear, concise work instructions and routings, including those that cover the use of tooling, and help make sure operators are trained and supported.
• Work with design. You will collaborate with design engineering so that manufacturability is considered early, and feed back manufacturing challenges and lessons learned.
• Contribute to quality planning. You will contribute to APQP and FMEA activities, helping to make sure critical characteristics are reflected in tooling and control plans.
• Improve year on year. You will provide governance to the upkeep of tooling in service, use data to spot trends before they affect delivery, and keep improving how we specify, track and sustain tooling, placing Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost (SQDC) at the centre of every decision.
• Support the wider team. Tooling is your first priority, but its workload will vary over the contract. When it does, you will also contribute to the wider Manufacturing Engineering team’s day-to-day work, such as work instructions, routings and technical reports, and join process improvement and problem-solving activities beyond tooling, with priorities agreed with your lead engineer.
• Work as part of the team. You will contribute to a mixed-skill team in a self-motivated, pragmatic way, and be a point of contact for colleagues and suppliers on your tooling.

Who you are:

• Curious, adaptable and keen to learn new processes, technologies and ways of working.
• Organised and proactive, with the drive to chase actions through to their need dates.
• Hands-on and comfortable on the shop floor, building trust with the people who use the tooling.
• Safety-first, with a commitment to a safe and compliant working environment.
• A clear communicator, in conversation, in writing and when working with suppliers.
• A structured problem solver with a sound analytical approach.

What you know:

• Practical experience supporting tooling, fixtures or equipment in a manufacturing engineering environment, from requirement through to delivery.
• A baseline understanding of structured manufacturing engineering in a larger organisation, such as work instructions, routings and process validation.
• An engineering qualification at HNC level or above, or equivalent knowledge and experience in a manufacturing engineering environment.
• Experience working with design, sourcing, health and safety teams and suppliers to deliver solutions.
• The ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, BOMs and technical specifications, and to write clear technical requirements.
• The ability to plan, prioritise and track many items at once, with the commercial awareness to keep an eye on cost.
• Working knowledge of a problem-solving methodology (Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, DMAIC).
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations and ergonomics, and how to comply with them.

Highly desirable experience:

• Composite knowledge, which is highly valued. It is not essential, but experience of composite materials and manufacturing processes will put you at a clear advantage and help you make an impact quickly.
• Experience writing statements of work, specifications or RFQ packages.
• Experience of 3D printing (additive manufacturing) for tooling, jigs or fixtures.
• Experience of raising or driving engineering changes (ECNs) in a controlled manufacturing environment.
• Experience of tooling and fixture design or development, and of CAD (Catia, AutoCAD or similar).
• Understanding of GD&T, and of capital versus operating expenditure.
• Experience creating work instructions and routings in aerospace or another regulated industry.
• Familiarity with APQP, FMEA and control plans.

Why join us:

• Work that matters. Help shape the next generation of propulsion technology, with real influence over how tooling and processes are defined and delivered.
• A modern site. Be part of our state-of-the-art facility in Gloucestershire.
• Flexible Working. GE supports and encourages flexible working arrangements, where possible, and recognises the benefits to employees of having a positive work-life balance.

Total Reward:

• At GE Aerospace we understand the importance of Total Reward. Our flexible benefits plan, called FlexChoice, gives you freedom, choice and flexibility in the way you receive your benefits, as well as giving you the opportunity to make savings where possible.
• As a new joiner to GE we are pleased to be able to offer you the following as default in your benefit fund, which you then can tailor to meet your individual needs:
• Non-contributory Pension
• Life Assurance
• Group income protection
• Private medical cover
• Holiday Hourly equivalent of 26 days, with flexible option to buy or sell

Security Clearance:

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance is required and must be maintained for this role. Please note that in the event that BPSS clearance cannot be obtained, you may not be eligible for the role and/or any offer of employment may be withdrawn on grounds of national security.

Right to Work:

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. However, under the applicable UK immigration rules as may be in place from time to time, it may be that candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be appointed to a post if a suitably qualified, experienced and skilled candidate who does not require sponsorship is available to take up the post.