Principal Certification Engineer

RTX; Leighton Buzzard; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and annual bonus

Pension contributions

25 days annual leave

Private Health Cover

Group Income Protection

Hybrid working

Early finish Fridays

Employee assistance program

Staff discount

Wellbeing initiatives

Recognition programmes

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Collins Aerospace in Leighton Buzzard is seeking a Principal Certification Engineer to lead qualification and certification activities for complex aerospace programmes. You will shape certification strategies, ensure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements, and mentor a global team of engineers.

Based at the Leighton Buzzard site with hybrid working, the role offers autonomy, technical leadership, and the opportunity to influence certification approaches across international

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Engineering, ideally Aerospace Engineering.
• Extensive experience in aerospace certification within commercial aviation.
• Strong understanding of certification processes and compliance requirements.
• Proven ability to lead technical problem-solving and drive outcomes.
• Experience influencing stakeholders and communicating complex technical info.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop engineers.
• Proactive, solutions-focused with commitment to safety, quality and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead certification and qualification activities across complex aerospace programmes.
• Develop certification strategies balancing compliance, customer requirements, safety and business objectives.
• Act as the go-to technical expert for certification challenges and complex compliance issues.
• Lead cross-functional teams to investigate, solve, and implement certification solutions.
• Build strong relationships with customers, programme teams, regulatory stakeholders, and engineering functions.
• Review and approve certification deliverables against requirements.
• Communicate certification risks and recommendations clearly to stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement of certification processes, tools, and templates.
• Mentor and develop engineers through coaching, knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with global engineering teams across multiple locations.

Skills

Technical leadership

Aerospace certification

Stakeholder communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Aerospace preferred)

Job description

Date Posted:

2026-08-06

Country:

United Kingdom

Location:

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

Position Role Type:

Hybrid

At Collins Aerospace, we're redefining the future of aircraft interiors.

Our Interiors business designs and delivers innovative cabin solutions that make air travel safer, more comfortable, and more connected for millions of passengers worldwide. Working with leading airlines and aircraft manufacturers, our teams combine engineering excellence with a relentless focus on safety, quality, and customer experience.

This opportunity is based at our Leighton Buzzard site and offers a hybrid working model, providing flexibility while enabling collaboration with our global engineering and certification teams.

With manufacturing and engineering sites across the globe, you'll join a collaborative international organisation where your expertise can influence products flying on aircraft around the world.

We're now seeking a Principal Certification Engineer to join our global Certification & Test team. This is an opportunity to play a key technical leadership role, shaping certification strategies, solving complex compliance challenges, and mentoring the next generation of certification engineers.

What You Will Do

As a Principal Certification Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader and trusted advisor, leading qualification and certification activities to ensure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.

You will:

• Lead certification and qualification activities across complex aerospace programmes.


• Develop certification strategies that balance compliance, customer requirements, safety, and business objectives.


• Act as the go-to technical expert for certification challenges and complex compliance issues.


• Lead cross-functional teams to investigate, solve, and implement certification solutions.


• Build strong relationships with customers, programme teams, regulatory stakeholders, and engineering functions.


• Review and approve certification deliverables against customer and regulatory requirements.


• Communicate certification risks, compliance approaches, and technical recommendations clearly to stakeholders.


• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across certification processes, tools, templates, and best practices.


• Mentor and develop engineers through coaching, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing.


• Collaborate with global engineering teams across multiple international locations.

This role offers significant autonomy, technical ownership, and the opportunity to influence certification strategy across a global engineering organisation.

What You Must Have

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Engineering, ideally Aerospace Engineering.


• Extensive experience in aerospace certification within the commercial aviation industry.


• Strong understanding of certification processes and compliance requirements.


• Proven ability to lead technical problem-solving activities and drive successful outcomes.


• Experience influencing stakeholders and communicating complex technical information effectively.


• Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop engineers.


• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a strong commitment to safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Experience We Value

• Experience within aircraft interiors certification.


• Strong knowledge of aerospace regulatory frameworks including Part 21 and CS-25.


• Experience leading technical teams as a people leader or technical authority.


• Experience supporting organisational capability development and engineering excellence initiatives.


• Experience with fire properties certification.


• Current or previous CVE or Approver status.

What We Offer

At Collins Aerospace, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing an environment where talented professionals can thrive, develop, and make a meaningful impact.

Our benefits include:

• Competitive salary and annual bonus


• Generous 2:1 pension scheme with employer contributions up to 10%


• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays


• Private Health Cover


• Group Income Protection


• Life Assurance


• Hybrid and flexible working options


• Early finish Fridays


• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)


• Staff discount programmes


• Wellness and wellbeing initiatives


• Employee recognition programmes


• Free onsite parking

Ready to Help Shape the Future of Aerospace?

If you're an experienced certification professional looking to influence global aerospace programmes, lead technical excellence, and develop engineering talent, we'd love to hear from you.

Join Collins Aerospace and help deliver the next generation of aircraft interior solutions.

Hybrid: Employees who are working in Hybrid roles will work regularly both onsite and offsite. Ratio of time working onsite will be determined in partnership with your leader.