Senior Design Engineer

Collins Aerospace; Leighton Buzzard; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible/hybrid working

2:1 pension contribution

Private health insurance

25 days annual leave (+5)

Early finish on Fridays

Career development

International project exposure

Job summary

Collins Aerospace in Leighton Buzzard is seeking a Senior Design Engineer to lead complex mechanical designs for aerospace galley products. You will work with teams in the UK and the Philippines, driving design releases, cost improvements and robust manufacturability.

The role emphasizes problem solving, collaboration across engineering and manufacturing, and delivering designs from concept through to release. A strong background in mechanical design within regulated environments is expected.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant engineering discipline with demonstrated experience in a Design or Engineering role.
• OR an HND/HNC in a relevant engineering discipline with demonstrated experience in Design or Engineering role.
• OR a relevant engineering apprenticeship with demonstrated experience in Design or Engineering role.

Responsibilities

• Develop, review and support the release of mechanical designs to meet requirements.
• Apply Design for Manufacture principles across machined, sheet metal and composite components.
• Identify design-to-cost opportunities and redesign parts to improve cost and manufacturability.
• Carry out tolerance stack-up analyses and apply GD&T.
• Investigate design or production issues and implement corrective actions.
• Improve manufacturability, assembly efficiency and design consistency.
• Support projects from concept through to design release and delivery.

Skills

Design for Manufacture

GD&T

Tolerance analysis

Aerospace experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Engineering degree

HND/HNC in engineering

Engineering apprenticeship

Tools

CATIA

Teamcenter

Power BI

Scripting

Job description

Date Posted

2026-09-09

Country

United Kingdom

Location

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

Position Role Type

Hybrid

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industry.

We are currently looking for a Senior Design Engineer to join our team in Leighton Buzzard, supporting the design and continuous improvement of our aerospace galley products.

This is an opportunity to work across a large and varied product range, applying your mechanical design expertise to improve product quality, manufacturability and cost. You’ll work closely with engineering teams in Leighton Buzzard and the Philippines, helping solve technical challenges and supporting projects from concept through to design release.

The role would suit an experienced mechanical design engineer who enjoys problem solving, improving existing designs and working collaboratively across engineering and manufacturing teams.

What You Will Do

As a Senior Design Engineer, you will take ownership of complex design activities and support the development and improvement of our aerospace galley products.

• Develop, review and support the release of mechanical designs, ensuring they meet technical, manufacturing and customer requirements.
• Apply Design for Manufacture principles across machined, sheet metal and composite components.
• Identify and implement design-to-cost opportunities, including redesigning parts and assemblies to improve cost and manufacturability.
• Carry out tolerance stack-up analysis and apply GD&T principles to support robust mechanical designs.
• Investigate design and production issues, carrying out root cause analysis and supporting corrective actions.
• Identify opportunities to improve manufacturability, assembly efficiency and design consistency.
• Support engineering projects from concept through to design release and delivery.
• Contribute to engineering standards, guidance documents and work instructions.
• Work collaboratively with engineering and manufacturing teams in Leighton Buzzard and the Philippines to resolve technical issues and support project delivery.
• Present technical recommendations and design solutions to engineering and project stakeholders.
• Share technical knowledge and provide guidance and support to less experienced engineers.

Qualifications We Prefer

• Educational Background:
  • A degree in a relevant engineering discipline with demonstrated experience in a Design or Engineering role.
  • OR: An HND/HNC in a relevant engineering discipline with demonstrated experience in Design or Engineering role.
  • OR: A relevant engineering apprenticeship with demonstrated experience in a Design or Engineering role
• Strong mechanical design experience within aerospace or another regulated engineering environment.
• Good Design for Manufacture knowledge, particularly machining, with experience of sheet metal and composite design.
• Experience applying design-to-cost principles to parts or assemblies.
• Strong understanding of GD&T and experience carrying out tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Good knowledge of mechanical design principles and mechanisms.
• Experience reviewing engineering designs and providing technical feedback.
• Experience investigating design or production issues using root cause analysis and corrective action.
• The ability to identify practical improvements to manufacturability, assembly and design consistency.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across different engineering teams and locations.

Experience in any of the following would also be beneficial:

• Creating and interpreting tolerance annotations.
• Supporting projects from concept through to design release.
• CATIA.
• Teamcenter.
• Power BI, scripting or other digital engineering tools.
• Supporting or mentoring less experienced engineers.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Flexible and hybrid working options.
• Excellent 2:1 matched pension contribution, up to 10%.
• Private health insurance and life assurance.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus the ability to buy or sell up to 5 additional days.
• Early finish on Fridays.
• Career development, mentoring and training opportunities.
• Opportunities to work with engineering teams across an international organisation.
• And much more!

At Collins Aerospace, our Interiors team is focused on innovation, safety and cost efficiency. But we don’t just get people from point A to point B. We’re committed to making air travel more comfortable, connected and secure. As a leader in aviation interior products and services, we’re helping airlines and original equipment manufacturers create a positive experience for their customers. With offices and manufacturing facilities in more than 12 states across the U.S. and more than 10 countries around the globe, we’re changing the game of aircraft interiors.

Are you ready to join our team?

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.

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