Senior Research Engineer - Composites Tooling Design

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet.

With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35  2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

In this exciting role as a Senior Research Engineer – Composites Tooling Design, you will lead the design, development, and delivery of innovative tooling solutions that enable the manufacture and testing of advanced composite structures for future aircraft.

You will draw on your engineering expertise to manage tooling activities from concept design through manufacture and development. You will apply your knowledge of materials, processes, and manufacturing methods to deliver cost-effective, robust, and production-ready tooling technologies that support both research and technology insertion into production facilities.

In addition to leading technical work with responsibility for budgeting, scheduling, and risk management, you will engage with internal and external stakeholders and participate in dissemination of accrued knowledge across Technology teams.

This role offers hybrid working and is based at our Global Technology Centre, Bristol

The Senior Research Engineer – Composites Tooling Design will be responsible for the following:

• Lead the design and engineering of composite tooling solutions, including concept generation, CAD definition, specification, and validation of prototype and production tooling
• Manage tooling activities within Technology projects, owning the tooling input into GKN’s Technology Readiness Assessment process, providing support to technical leads across projects and technologies
• Take ownership of tooling documentation, ensuring compliance with company standards and customer requirements and develop best practices and standard operating procedures for composite tooling design and maintenance
• Work closely with design engineers, materials specialists, and manufacturing teams to ensure tooling solutions meet both research and industrial requirements
• You will lead technical engagement with tooling suppliers, research partners, and universities, ensuring technical quality and compliance with GKN Aerospace standards and advising on tooling materials, design and manufacturing methods
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and knowledge sharing across the Technology function to strengthen GKN’s composite tooling capability
• Identify and implement improvements in tooling design, materials, and processes to enhance performance, cost, and sustainability
• Support or lead any necessary 'hands on' development test work and development trials that are required to meet your Work Package/Work Stream delivery objectives and support root-cause investigations for tooling-related non-conformances
• Contribute to the development of GKN as a 'Great Place to Work', aligned with the core principles - safe, innovative, open & honest, care & respect, and ownership

To help us make a difference, you’ll bring your passion and expertise/ talent for what you do along with the following skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:

• A high level of experience in tooling design (CATIA V5), including knowledge of surfacing and biasing of mould tool
• Experience of leading the definition and development of complex, high-tolerance and rate-capable composite tooling solutions and/or integrated manufacturing systems, with a sound knowledge of composite tooling approaches, manufacturing methods & processes for OEM or Tier 1 aerospace companies
• Experience of development tooling for new materials and processes with a proactive and hands on approach for tooling and assembly operations…