Senior Systems Engineer in Bristol

Job Summary

GKN Aerospace is an original aerospace innovator. For decades, GKN Aerospace technologies have inspired and industrialised the aerospace industry, combining engineering and technological excellence. All major aircraft and engine manufacturers rely on our advanced technologies.

GKN Aerospace Engineering Offices in Cowes, Isle of Wight builds upon a 70‑year heritage of technology research and development. Civil and Defence teams work within our manufacturing locations representing a significant part of our history and continue to be an investment for our future business. We strive to ensure that GKN Aerospace continues to be the greatest place to work, as much as the Isle of Wight is the best place to live.

Join us and be part of Systems Engineering & Technology at GKN Aerospace. We are a growing team, with a mission to be the most trusted product and technology development and support partner to our internal and external customers, through our use of world‑class people, processes and differentiated technologies.

We are looking for a Senior Systems Engineer with a background in Electrical/Mechanical Systems Engineering to help shape the future of flight. Reporting to the Director of Engineering and Technology (or delegate) the successful candidate will develop, integrate, implement, and verify technical solutions and compliance documentation; compliant with all relevant customer, regulatory, and airworthiness requirements, within agreed programme, schedule, and manufacturing constraints.

This is a very exciting and potentially career‑defining opportunity. You will be a leading member of the team embarking on a significant and challenging technology development project. This project will be a major steppingstone towards achieving the next generation of avionics for customer Tilt‑Rotors.

The project will operate from our GKN facilities in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Alternatively, this role can be based at our Global Technology Centre in Bristol with visits to Cowes, Isle of Wight as required by the business (approximately fortnightly).

There is the requirement to be flexible with international travel within Europe and to the U.S. (approximately every two months). We offer hybrid working, the opportunity to work from home up to two days per week dependent on the needs of the business.

For this opportunity we will provide a relocation support package (if applicable) to the Isle of Wight, for the successful applicant should this location be of interest.

This is an excellent opportunity for Engineers looking to step up into a Senior Engineer role, with full support for your development and progression.

Job Accountabilities

• Quality assurance reviewer of design deliverables created by the Systems Engineering team
• Data analysis and reporting into qualification arguments and submissions for avionic, control systems and sub-systems
• Release of stakeholder and internal technical communications
• Technical work breakdown of program planning objectives
• Assure best practice development within systems engineering excellence
• Mentor and develop systems engineering team members
• System engineering inputs to technology incubator process

What You'll Bring

• Specific Technical Experience: HNC, degree or equivalent experience in electrical, mechanical, or systems engineering.
• Demonstrable experience as an engineer delivering designs for electro‑mechanical, sensing or controller systems within an engineering environment.
• Proven design and delivery of high quality and reliable systems in a complex regulatory environment (e.g. MIL‑STD, TUV certification, etc).
• Proven track record (minimum 1 project), in compliance planning and verification & validation analysis for product release.
• Advanced experience of the Systems Development Lifecycle process.
• Intermediate experience of requirement decomposition and tools (e.g. DOORS).
• Intermediate experience defining system / modular architecture.
• Advanced experience developing system control functions & logic models.
• Ability to design and set‑up experiments and fixtures for testing.
• Confident interrogating CAD models and drawings (e.g. CATIA V5).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications.
• Essential General Experience: Technical leadership – ability to mentor and develop functional team members.
• Confident presenting technical information to a wider audience including senior stakeholders and internal customers.
• Live the culture of Plan‑Do‑Check‑Act and continuous improvement.
• Hands‑on approach – have a real desire to be up close to the components and people that build our systems.
• Desirable: Working experience delivering system designs using MBSE toolbox (e.g. SysML).
• Experience in safety assessment software/toolbox FTA and FMEA (e.g. ANSYS Medini, Isograph).
• Proficiency in multi‑domain modelling/simulation packages (e.g. MATLAB, Simulink, Simscape, Amesim).

What We'll Offer

Once you're on board you'll get the following perks and benefits:

• Competitive salary dependent on experience.
• Opportunity to earn up to 15% bonus.
• Industry‑leading pension scheme – we will match your contributions up to 8% on a 1:1.5 basis.
• Life assurance 8× salary.
• 185 hours holiday + bank holidays.
• Electric vehicle (EV) salary sacrifice scheme (insurance, servicing, maintenance, roadside assistance and more included).
• Relocation support (if applicable).
• Hybrid working – giving you the opportunity to balance home and office working.
• Income protection.
• Shopping discounts.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employee assistance programme.
• A collaborative, dynamic working environment.

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment.

We are also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.