Principal Certification Engineer

Prattwhitney; Leighton Buzzard; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and annual bonus

2:1 pension scheme with employer contributions

25 days annual leave plus public holidays

Private Health Cover

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Prattwhitney in Leighton Buzzard is seeking an experienced aerospace certification professional to lead and influence certification activities. This hybrid role requires extensive experience in the commercial aviation industry and a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, ideally Aerospace Engineering.

You will mentor engineers, develop compliance strategies, and communicate technical information effectively within a global team. Along with a competitive salary, employees enjoy a range of benefits including pension contributions, generous annual leave, and health coverage.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead certification and qualification activities across complex aerospace programs.
• Develop certification strategies balancing compliance and business objectives.
• Act as the go-to technical expert for certification challenges.

Skills

Aerospace certification

Technical problem-solving

Stakeholder communication

Mentoring engineers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Aerospace preferred)

Job description

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.

Location: Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Role Type: Hybrid.

What You Will Do

• 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.

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

• 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 initiativesEmployee recognition programmes
• Free onsite parking

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.

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment. All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

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.