Principal Design Engineer EWIS - Components & Environmental Testing

GKN Aerospace; Papendrecht; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

8% holiday allowance

42 holidays per year

Pension scheme PME

Travel allowance

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

GKN Aerospace, Papendrecht, Netherlands, is seeking an accomplished Principal Design Engineer EWIS to lead the development and verification of electrical wiring interconnection systems for future aircraft. You will define technical direction, supervise complex projects, and mentor a team of engineers.

Reporting to the Centre of Competence Manager – EWIS Components and Environmental Testing, you will drive design integrity across multi‑project assignments and ensure compliance with industry

Qualifications

• 10+ years in high‑reliability engineering (aerospace/related).
• Extensive system design background with leadership in complex architectures.
• Expert‑level knowledge of electrical cable harness design and components.
• Proficient with DO-160, ARP4754A, MIL-STD and ISO standards.
• Experience with documentation and requirements management tools.
• Ability to lead technical reviews and cross‑functional issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead EWIS component design, validation and verification activities.
• Define design strategies and ensure compliant, high‑quality outcomes.
• Mentor junior engineers and review critical work packages.
• Collaborate with the Design Team and project leads as design authority.
• Shape the technical roadmap and mature EWIS competencies.

Skills

EWIS design

System architecture

Cable harness design

Documentation

Lead reviews

Supplier negotiation

Project management

English fluent

Analytical mindset

Qualification experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Codebeamer

Job description

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Principal Design Engineer EWIS - Components & Environmental Testing

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The Engineering department of GKN Aerospace's EWIS solutions (Fokker Elmo) is looking for an ambitious Engineer who wants to apply his/her theoretical background, experience, interests and ambitions to the development of future Electrical (Wiring) Interconnection Systems for sustainable aircraft. Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) already became more prevalent as part of the More Electric Aircraft, however today the journey to full Electric and Hybrid-Electric aircraft adds a new chapter to its technology significance. This will include both High Voltage High Power (HVHP) EWIS developments as well as disruptive technologies for the transmission of low voltage data signals.

What you'll do

As an EWIS Principal Design Engineer, you will serve as the design authority within your specific area of expertise, leading the development and the validation & verification of EWIS components and constructions (component assemblies). In this role, you will define the technical direction for complex EWIS solutions, establish design strategies, and ensure robust, compliant, and high‑quality engineering outcomes across multiple projects.

Your responsibilities include leading trade‑off studies, defining component selection strategies, overseeing component and construction qualification, and delivering high‑quality technical documentation. You will collaborate closely with the Engineering Design Team, acting as a key decision‑maker and technical reference point for EWIS component design.

In this principal role, you will also mentor, coach, and technically guide Senior, Mid‑level, and Junior Design Engineers, ensuring consistent engineering excellence, reviewing critical work packages, and fostering the development of advanced EWIS domain expertise within the team.

As we continue to expand our capabilities in next‑generation EWIS technologies for future aircraft platforms, you will play a key role in shaping the technical roadmap and maturing these advanced competencies.

The following qualifications apply for this position:

You will report to the Centre of Competence Manager – EWIS Components and Environmental Testing (ECE). For project‑specific activities, you will collaborate closely with the Technical Lead (Senior Engineer) and/or the Engineering Team Lead (ETL) within the Design team. In addition to receiving project direction, you will act as a design authority within your specific area of expertise, providing expert guidance, validating critical design decisions, and ensuring technical consistency across project deliverables. The primary place of work will be GKN Fokker Elmo, Papendrecht, The Netherlands.

What you'll bring

• 10+ years of professional experience in a comparable engineering domain, ideally within aerospace, automotive, rail, or other high‑reliability transportation industries.
• Extensive system design background with proven leadership in complex, multidisciplinary aerospace and/or transportation system architectures.
• Expert‑level knowledge of electrical cable harness design, including deep component‑level understanding of connectors, terminals, backshells, splices, shielding, grounding, protective coverings, and integration constraints.
• Strong capability in defining and specifying parts, materials, and assemblies, with a clear understanding of component interactions, system‑level impacts, and design trade‑offs.
• Proficiency in interpreting and applying industry standards (e.g., DO‑160, ARP4754A, MIL‑STD, ISO standards) and translating them into practical design requirements.
• Advanced documentation and requirements management skills, including experience with tools such as Codebeamer or equivalent systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical reviews, resolve complex cross‑functional issues, and support design assurance and compliance activities.
• Highly analytical and proactive mindset, capable of diagnosing and resolving complex system‑level engineering challenges.
• Experience with qualification and certification processes, including effective communication and negotiation with suppliers, customers, and regulatory bodies.

Soft skills:

• Assertiveness: Willingness to learn and to broaden own knowledge; takes initiative to help improve processes and procedures.
• Teamwork: Able to work constructively in a small (multicultural) team taking responsibility for assigned tasks and willing to support other team members in achieving team targets and deadlines;
• Results-driven: Able to plan own work in line with project schedules, and report progress regularly and timely in the event of issues or delays;
• Self-learning: Willing to learn and explore, share knowledge with colleagues and improve yourself;
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, enabling effective collaboration with internal teams, suppliers, and regulatory bodies amd Fluent English in speech and writing, ability to communicate clearly and concisely (including technical reports) with flair and forthcomingness;
• Project Management; You master basic project management skills.

Profile:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Aeronautical, Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline. An advanced degree is considered an advantage.
• Extensive professional experience—typically 10+ years in a high‑reliability engineering environment such as aerospace, automotive, medical devices, or other advanced electronics design and development domains, with a demonstrated track record of technical leadership and ownership.

What we’ll offer

We are committed to offer you a challenge but also a great opportunity to learn and grow. We want to offer you a career that can go to many directions thanks to our breadth of international opportunities. By being part of GKN Aerospace that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry, you will know that you will be working towards being the most trusted partner in the aerospace industry. We will support and promote your professional and personal development.

Furthermore, we will offer you:

• The role is in Grade M and according to the CLA Metalektro ,
• 8% holiday allowance,
• 42 paid holidays for full‑time employment in line with the Collective Labor Agreement Metalektro,
• An excellent pension scheme (PME) and travel allowance,
• A pleasant and informal working environment, in which we work together to achieve the best result for our customers.

Next to the attractive package, we will offer you a world of opportunities: we want to see your career fly! We will support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities.

Who we are

Aerospace

A leading player in the design, manufacturing and support for the Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) for Aerospace and Defense programs. Their innovative tools and processes support customers and represent a Unique Selling Point.

GKN Aerospace is the world’s leading tier one aerospace supplier of systems and components. With over 15,000 employees across 38 manufacturing sites and 4 Global Technology Centers, they serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers with sales of £2.5bn. Fokker Elmo employs >2200 employees worldwide.

Journey

An innovative and international workplace in a company with a rich history in the field of aircraft construction. The company has a passion for technology and their staff is rightly proud of what they develop and build. At Fokker Elmo, you will get every opportunity to build your career and work on your personal development!

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We arethe place where human dreams, plus humanendeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.