Research and Development Engineer - Composite Analysis in Chester

Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets.

Safran Electronics & Defense offers its customers onboard intelligence solutions allowing them to understand the environment, reduce mental load and guarantee a trajectory, even in critical situations, in all environments: on land, at sea, in the sky or space. The company harnesses the expertise of its 13,000 employees towards these three functions: observe, decide and guide, for the civil and military markets.

Looking after the people who make Safran great is our priority. We offer a range of flexible benefits designed to support you both in and out of work, including:

• Early finish on Fridays
• Competitive salary and annual bonus and pay review
• 25 days' holiday + bank holidays
• Strong Pension scheme - up to 10% Employer Contributions
• Professional development, ongoing training, mentoring
• Family-friendly and accessible workplace policies

At Safran, we understand that diversity and inclusion make teams stronger and more effective, and as an organisation, we are committed to fair and equitable employment practices for everyone. We also know that some candidates may be put off applying for jobs where they don't meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the advert, however, we encourage anybody to apply if you can demonstrate a variety of skills and experience relevant to the requirements of this role. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the application or hiring process that may better facilitate your participation.

Your Role: As an R&D Engineer working on the latest, novel composite products and processing techniques you will be joining a small but highly effective team of experienced Engineers. The environment is cutting edge, fast paced and challenging but you will be supported to work on some of the most innovative and leading projects and programs across a wide range of Aerospace applications. These products are primarily manufactured using techniques such as multi-axis high speed Filament Winding, High Pressure Resin Molding and various Braiding techniques. You will be engaged in the design, development and analysis of these structural composite components from 1st Principles and Hand Calculations, as well as FEA (Finite Element Analysis) including developing new models. As the team is small and efficient you will also have the opportunity to get involved with hands on testing to validate and use the iterative process to feedback into design and development.

What You'll Bring:

• Degree qualified in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent
• Strong foundation in engineering mathematics and Solid mechanics and Stress Analysis
• Able to analyse and solve new engineering problems using first principles and hand calculations
• Experience in Matlab, Python or Excel for numerical modelling is highly beneficial
• Experience in Finite Element software - Desirable
• Some knowledge of composite materials would be highly beneficial
• Highly motivated, with a keen ability to use own initiative
• Willing to take hands-on approach to problem solving, development and testing methods
• Clear open two-way communication skills