Principal Systems Engineer

Safran Group; Gloucester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Safran Gloucester site invites applications for a Principal Systems Engineer to lead development of aircraft landing gear systems, ensuring alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and Safran processes.

You will drive planning, requirement capture and analysis, validation/verification activities, and supplier management for actuators, hydraulics, and electrical harnessing while mentoring junior and senior engineers on the team.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of Systems Engineering principles including requirements management, validation and verification.
• Knowledge of aircraft landing gear systems (ATA32) or similar complex electro-mechanical aerospace systems.
• Ability to lead and influence stakeholders with strong communication and collaborative leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Define systems development plans aligned with Safran processes and ARP4754.
• Ensure adherence to development plans throughout the lifecycle.
• Manage requirements at system, sub-system, and equipment levels including customer and regulatory needs.
• Lead requirements validation from planning to evidence documentation.
• Manage product verification planning, coordination and evidence documentation.
• Set up and maintain requirements management tools (IBM DOORS Classic/NG).
• Produce systems engineering documents including requirements, descriptions, matrices and DDP dossiers.
• Write specifications for landing gear equipment (actuators, hoses, electrical harnesses).
• Act as a technical liaison with equipment suppliers.
• Provide technical leadership across the systems engineering team.

Skills

Systems Engineering

Requirements Management

Leadership

Communication

Tools

IBM DOORS

Job description

Principal Systems Engineer

Gloucester UK

Hybrid

Safran – Here, we craft excellence together.

At Safran, excellence is a journey – and we'd love you to be a part of it. As a trusted global leader in aerospace, defence, and space, we are proud to be a company where diversity, innovation, and opportunity come together to shape a sustainable future where we can all succeed together through a shared vision

We are looking for passionate individuals to join our Engineering team as a Principal Systems Engineer at our Gloucester site.

Safran Landing Systems are a global leader in aircraft landing and braking systems, from commercial and business travel to military and defence fleets. Our expertise cover the entire life cycle of our products from end-to-end; OEM Design, Engineering & Manufacturing, through to Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO).

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the definition of systems development plans aligned with Safran processes and ARP4754, in collaboration with the Systems Architecture Integration team.
• Ensuring adherence to systems development plans throughout the lifecycle.
• Managing requirements definition at system, sub system, and equipment levels—including customer, regulatory, and internal needs.
• Leading requirements validation from planning to documentation of validation evidence.
• Managing product verification, including planning, coordination of verification means, and documentation of verification evidence.
• Setting up and maintaining requirements management tools such as IBM DOORS Classic and DOORS NG.
• Producing systems engineering documentation including requirements, descriptions, validation/verification matrices, and DDP dossiers.
• Writing specifications for landing gear equipment (hydraulic actuators, hoses, electrical harnesses).
• Acting as a technical liaison with equipment suppliers.
• Providing technical leadership across the systems engineering team.

Your Role

As a Principal Systems Engineer, you will ensure the successful development of aircraft landing gear systems—including structures, extension/retraction, hydraulics, and electrical harnesses—fully aligned with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and the Safran system development process. You will lead system development planning, requirements capture and analysis, validation and verification activities, and supplier management for equipment such as actuators, hydraulic hoses, and electrical harnessing. You will also provide leadership to junior and senior engineers within the team.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• Strong understanding of Systems Engineering principles, with experience in requirements management, validation, and verification
• Knowledge of aircraft landing gear systems (ATA32) or comparable complex electro-mechanical aerospace systems - Must have!
• Ability to lead and influence stakeholders, supported by strong communication and collaborative leadership skills

Desirable

• Experience in mechanical engineering and hydraulics (actuators & hoses)
• Experience in electrical engineering
• Knowledge of airworthiness and certification requirements
• Familiarity with ARP4754 and ARP4761
• Experience using IBM DOORS (Classic or NG)
• Knowledge of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• Ability to review engineering documents such as reports, analyses, specifications, and requirements documentation
• Previous engineering signatory experience
• Ability to write clear and accurate technical reports
• Willingness to work collaboratively across all engineering disciplines
• General computer literacy and good written communication

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.