Assistant Chief Design Engineer

Rolls-Royce; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Rolls-Royce seeks an Assistant Chief Design Engineer in Derby with hybrid working. You will assist the Chief Design Engineer in leading systems design, verification activities, and integration across sub-systems.

You will interface with Design Functions, Development, Safety, Reliability, Airworthiness, and Product Assurance teams to drive architecture and product plans. The role requires a degree, strong systems thinking, and experience with product change control and PILM, plus leadership of

Qualifications

• Degree required; domain knowledge aligned with the package focus.
• Understanding of Product Change control and PILM experience.
• Experience in planning, controlling budgets and driving to schedules.
• Engineering and technical competence to support decision making.
• Experience leading an engineering team.
• Experience applying a systems approach or equivalent (Robust Design Lead or Black Belt).
• Leadership of cross-functional engineering activities.

Responsibilities

• Act as delegate for the Chief Design Engineer when required.
• Help generate overall product architecture and breakdown into subsystems.
• Assist in flow-down of subsystem and product system requirements.
• Develop a robust whole product design plan with tasks, budgets and schedules.
• Manage design teams and ensure milestones are met.
• Apply standardised designs unless bespoke solutions are justified.
• Capture, manage and maintain critical data (reports, models, validation data).
• Record and manage quality escapes/QA interventions and MQIs.
• Assess non-conformance at product or system level.
• Lead PILM process on behalf of the CDE and secure key buy-offs.

Skills

Systems engineering

Project management

Team leadership

Robust design / Six Sigma

PILM (Product Introduction Lifecycle)

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Description

Assistant Chief Design Engineer

Derby - Hybrid

Full time

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Chief Design Engineer to join the team.

The Assistant Chief Design Engineer assists the Chief Design Engineer (CDE) with his/her responsibilities in leading the systems design & verification activities, and integration of the sub-systems. They may work closely with the external platform or system Integrator on future product developments. Key interfaces will be the Design Functions, Development, Safety and Reliability, Airworthiness Safety and Product Assurance, and the Audit team.

What you will be doing:

• Acting as a delegate for the Chief Design Engineer CDE, as required.
• Assisting the CDE in the generation of the overall product architecture and breakdown into constituent sub-systems and product systems.
• Assisting the CDE in the flow down of sub-system and product system requirements.
• Assisting the CDE in the generation and creation of a robust whole product integrated design plan by:
• Tasking and managing the allocated systems design teams, including budget and planning requirements.
• Applying standardised designs to the product being developed unless bespoke solutions can be justified due to the specific requirements of the product.
• Capturing, managing and maintaining all critical data created within the team, for example technical reports, models, design data or validation and verification data, in line with the processes and guidelines defined by the capability.
• Capturing and managing quality escapes/issues from the team, including Quality Notifications (QN) and Major Quality Investigations (MQI).
• Assessing and sentencing non-conformance at a whole product or system level.
• Managing the Product Introduction Lifecycle Management (PILM) process on behalf of the CDE.
• Agreeing and committing tasks with respect to technical requirements and milestones with the CDE.
• Ensuring appropriate buy-off of key project decisions within the capability’s accountability, including consultation with relevant experts and initiation of peer reviews.

Position Qualifications:

• Qualified to at least degree level.
• Domain knowledge commensurate with the focus and size of the package.
• Understanding of Product Change control and Product Introduction Lifecycle Management experience.
• Project Management experience in planning, controlling budgets and driving to schedules.
• Engineering and technical competence sufficient to enable decision making commensurate with the size of the package.
• Experience applying a Systems approach or equivalent, such as Robust Design Lead or Black Belt.
• Experience in leading an Engineering team.

Our vision is to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that shaped our history continues into our future. Our multi-year transformation programme aims to turn Rolls-Royce into a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing company. Join us, and it can be your future vision too.

Rolls-Royce are committed to being a respectful, inclusive, and non-discriminatory workplace where individuality is valued, diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and everyone can thrive.

Please be aware that priority will be given to employees identified as being at high risk.

This job is advertised at the grades shown, and this is the desired operating level for this role. We encourage applications from candidates with relevant experience from any grade.

It is advised that you inform your current manager of your application for this role.

Grade: Level C

Closing Date: 4th September 2026

People Leader: Marc Pons Perez

For further information, please contact: Jaspreet Bagga

Job Category

Mechanical Systems

Posting Date

25 Aug 2026; 00:08

Posting End Date

04 Sept 2026