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Head of Design

Head of Design

Reports To
Technical Director

Supervises
All Design Staff

Sector Engineering

Department Design Engineering

Location Engineering Centre

Role Purpose
Leader of the design area for the Engineering Centre. Responsible for all design work, training of engineers, developing engineers, plant support, and final sign-off of all design-related activities. Capable of providing insight into the technical assessment of potential partners in the area of design engineering.

Key Accountabilities
• Ensures that requirements are captured and that tools, methods, processes and procedures associated with the specialism are developed and validated to meet programme requirements.
• Ensures that best practice is captured, developed and deployed within the design teams.
• Identifies and proposes new design concepts to improve technical design solutions
• Acts as focal point for design principles
• Capable of acting as Design signatory for all design specialism, cascades signatory to other designers once technical authority is granted to the EC
• Financial (P&L) responsibility for all business in the Design Engineering area

Key Activities
• Ensure that the specific design work from the project is delivered to programme such that there are no subsequent delays to the programme.
• Develop staff with the appropriate level of expertise in design related areas
• Manage sub-contractor design engineers as appropriate for the particular programme
• A consistent structural design and certification/qualification approach is taken across all products.
• Contribution to design engineering training courses in terms of approval of course material and attendance at wrap up sessions.
• Definition and approval of certification plans.
• Ensuring design solutions follow appropriate design engineering processes
• Representing the design function at design reviews and approving design solutions
• Ensure core engineering methods, tools, and allowables, policies etc. are deployed and adhered to
• Actively participate in assessment of business development opportunities
• Lead, develop and evaluate a team of senior managers with appropriate skills to ensure the design organization achieves it business objectives and complies with all relevant regulations and laws
• Assist in training new recruits to the company and/or function
• Engage in ongoing personal/self development to stay current with industry best practices

Financial
• P&L financial targets
• Commercial KPI’s
• Costs managed to agreed budget

Non-Financial
• Develop senior engineers and staff
• Continuous improvement

Knowledge
Good knowledge of communication skills and a pro-active approach to problem solving. A good understanding of aircraft production methods and processes would be an advantage. A detailed and extensive knowledge of the design process, both for suppliers and OEMS. Detailed knowledge of the Certification, Configuration management and quality processes.

Education
Ideally candidates will have a degree or higher qualification in a relevant engineering discipline and experience of Airframe Design with the Aerospace industry. Preferable to have a higher degree qualification and a post graduate level education in business or management.
Higher degree in either aeronautical engineering, manufacturing engineering, production engineering, industrial engineering, production planning, or equivalent

Certifications
Capable of becoming a holder of delegated designs signatory for all Design work

Experience
Proven experience including;
• Involved in major aircraft projects taking a design from concept to production
• Experience at all stages of the design process from concept through to production
• Proven working experience as an aircraft design engineer, with minimum 4 years as team leader, involved in the design and development of aircraft products/parts.
• The ability to rapidly and confidently assess difficult, multi facetted design problems under pressure and to provide the appropriate direction and guidance to team members.
• The ability to develop and coach less experienced design engineers, and to set stretching, but realistic targets to section leaders.
• Managerial and leadership are necessary skills
• The ability to lead a large team of Design Engineers.
• The ability to ensure that solutions are technically integrated across the whole project.
• Team Leaders with high regard for both internal and external; customers, whilst maintaining Aircraft integrity as the over-riding principle.
• Experience in working in an international environment.
• Customer focus
• Self motivated/ team player/ leader

Technical Skills
• A working knowledge of CAD tools, certification, configuration management and design integration would be essential.
• Design and stress analysis of metallic airframe structure