Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Safran; Cwmbran; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days holiday (including bank)

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

Private medical cover

Life Assurance

Salary sacrifice schemes

Annual share save

CSR activities

Job summary

Safran Seats in Cwmbran, South Wales, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the development of seat components from concept to manufacture. You will own technical quality, mentor a small team, and ensure designs meet customer, regulatory and airframer requirements.

The role requires a degree in Mechanical/Aerospace/Structural Engineering, strong CATIA V5 and PLM experience, and the ability to drive design reviews across modules while managing cost and weight targets.

Qualifications

• Essential: Degree in Mechanical / Aerospace / Structural Engineering or equivalent, with extensive experience in mechanical systems design.
• Essential: Proficient with CATIA V5 and PLM Systems.
• Essential: Ability to plan and schedule design activities across multiple modules.
• Essential: Understanding of tolerances and manufacturing processes; OEM installation knowledge.
• Desirable: Experience with Boeing and Airbus interiors specifications or similar OEM standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design effort for multiple modules and develop tasks for a team of design engineers.
• Design and check modules (2D/3D/EBoMs) against internal standards; ensure technical accuracy before release.
• Monitor cost and weight targets and ensure integration of modules within the product.
• Coach and mentor junior designers; work toward design signatory status.
• Organise and participate in Design Reviews across the NPI process.

Skills

CATIA V5

PLM Systems

Team Leadership

Reading drawings

Tolerance analysis

Manufacturing knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical / Aerospace / Structural Engineering

HNC/HND in Mechanical / Aerospace / Structural Engineering

Tools

CATIA V5

3D CAD packages

Job description

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Safran Seats - Cwmbran (South Wales)

Hybrid

Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the fields of aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space and defense. Its mission is to contribute sustainably to a safer world, where air transport becomes ever more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Present on every continent, the Group employs 110,000 people and generated €31.3 billion in revenue in 2025. Safran holds, either independently or through partnerships, leading global or European positions in its markets.

Safran was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense sector in TIME magazine's "World's Best Companies 2025" ranking.

With more than one million seats installed across the fleets of the world's leading airlines, Safran Seats is one of the global leaders in passenger, crew, aircraft and helicopter seating, delivering innovative, high value-added solutions.

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 Mechanical Design Engineer team as a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at our Cwmbran site.

About the role

As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, you will lead the development of innovative seat components from early concept through to manufacture, owning the technical quality of your designs. You will guide and mentor a small team of engineers while ensuring every solution meets our customer, regulatory and airframer requirements. Working across multiple modules, you will drive design reviews, manage product maturity in our PLM systems and ensure seamless integration within the wider project. This is a role for someone who thrives on solving complex engineering challenges, collaborating with suppliers and stakeholders, and shaping high quality products.

Key Responsibilities

• To aid in the development of new product designs and their structure in the PLM system.
• To manage the product maturity and development in the PLM system.
• To lead the design effort for packages of work or modules and to develop and manage the tasks and deliverables of a team of design engineers.
• To design check the modules (2D, 3D, EBoMs) against internal standards and be responsible for the technical accuracy of designs prior to processing for release.
• Responsible for the design and detail modelling of a variety of suite components in order to meet the customer, regulatory and OEM requirements.
• To monitor, manage and meet the cost and weight targets.
• Expected to communicate effectively and professionally with customers and suppliers as well as to manage data transfer as required for product development or other needs.
• Organise and participate in Design Reviews throughout each phase of the New Product Introduction process. Ensure that all necessary follow up actions are taken.
• To ensure the selection and application of materials and processes are appropriate to each design element and are in line with standards, materials and processes guides.
• Ensure the successful integration of each of their module(s) within the product as a whole.
• Manage design changes as required to support manufacturing/production, customers, quality, and certification.
• Generate and/or revise specifications.
• Coach, mentor and develop less experienced design engineers (apprentices, graduates etc.).
• To work towards achieving design signatory status.
• Assisting in recruitment of team members when required.

Why work at Safran

• A global presence: Be part of a global aerospace, defence & space business with over 100,000 Colleagues, across 300 sites in 30 countries.
• Inclusive & empowering environment: We know that a fulfilling work environment is a key driver for innovative ideas and team success.
• Innovation at the core: Join our mission to decarbonise aerospace and make the world a safer place.
• Mobility & training opportunities: We can support your ambitions with training, development, a personalised career plan and mobility opportunities.

Looking after the people who make Safran great is our priority. We offer a range of flexible benefits designed to support you-both in and out of work, including:

• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays).
• Industry leading pension scheme with salary sacrifice employer contributions up to 10%.
• Private medical cover (to include Digital GP and rapid access Physio with no excess) with ability to upgrade level of benefit and cover family members.
• Access to salary sacrifice benefits scheme including cycle to work and Octopus EV Scheme.
• 4 x Life Assurance.
• Interactive benefits platform including wide range of discretionary benefits including technology, retail benefits, income protection.
• Enhanced family friendly policies and benefits and employee assistance programme.
• Annual share save schemes.
• Get involved in our corporate social responsibility activities.

What you'll bring

Knowledge, Experience, Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified to a minimum of degree in a Mechanical / Aerospace / Structural Engineering field. Alternatively a HNC/HND or an equivalent qualification in Mechanical / Aerospace / Structural Engineering apprenticeship, with extensive experience in mechanical systems design, developing concept and detailing engineering solutions.
• Highly Proficient with experience in CATIA V5 (or other 3D CAD packages) and Product Life Management (PLM) Systems.
• Ability to plan and schedule design activities across multiple design modules.
• Understanding of the effective application of tolerances and a working knowledge of manufacturing processes, as well as OEM installation requirements.
• A working knowledge of these main methods of manufacture sheet metal fabrication, plastics vacuum forming, CNC machining.
• Ability to read mechanical design drawings and specifications.
• Proven experience supervising a team Mechanical Design engineers.

Desirable

• Experience in working with Boeing and Airbus specifications for interiors design or other equivalent OEM specifications.
• Experience in new model introduction.