Project Chief Engineer

Published 02.26.2025

Company : Safran Seats

Job field : Project management

Location : Cwmbran, Wales, United Kingdom

Contract type : Permanent

Contract duration : Full-time

Professional status : Professional, Engineer & Manager

Are you interested in working at the business end of Aerospace, where airline brand meets innovative passenger experience? Then your next opportunity could be with Safran Seats, an industry award-winning, premium designer and manufacturer of First and Business Class seating and technology. Our passenger experience prides itself on innovation, customization, quality, and industrial design.

At Safran Seats, we are unique within aerospace, as we interface with both the world's biggest airlines and airframers alike, with the largest seats portfolio of all seats suppliers. One day you could be liaising with one of the world's largest airframers, and the next, some of the biggest airline brands around the world!

In the UK, Safran Seats specializes solely in the First Class and Business Class seating markets for wide-body aircraft, with industrial and engineering teams in Cwmbran and Newport, Wales, and Brackley, England.

Job Summary :

A strong and technically engaged leader, managing a team of Engineering Project Leads, the PCE has full responsibility for the multiple development projects within their scope. The PCE is key in ensuring that the product meets its technical requirements and that the delivery of the design solution is achieved on time, on cost, and on quality.

Key Responsibilities and Duties :

• Provide leadership – lead the engineering projects teams and support them to achieve their objectives, on a right first time and on-time delivery basis. Also to clearly define the objectives for the Engineering Project Leaders within their team.
• Provide technical authority for all projects within their scope.
• Ensure on-time delivery of the Engineering deliverables through execution of the project plan.
• Review progress - develop systems & processes to regularly monitor the performance of the engineering project teams, highlighting the issues affecting the performance of the teams and provide workable solutions to address those issues.
• Ensure Engineering Quality by managing the development activities in line with all relevant technical processes & standards.
• Ensure robustness of all technical design reviews, in accordance with the Technical Audit process.
• Lead the Master Engineering Reviews that support each project milestone.
• Liaise with operational functions for all technical aspects : Production, Purchasing, Finance, Customer Support, Quality.
• Support the Project Technical Integrator to ensure the design fulfills its technical requirements.
• Provide technical risk management – identify potential technical failings before they happen and develop mitigation strategies and activities to avoid any adverse impact on the projects.
• Communicate - develop and maintain influential relationships with key stakeholders within the business and customers.
• Represent the Engineering organization within the integrated project team (IPT).

Complementary Description

Our in-house design studio co-creates the most innovative experiences in the sky with our airline customers and partners. Our dedicated engineering, production, and in-service support facilities are integral to delivering a high-end quality product that we keep flying throughout the life of the program. We are fully supported by a wide team of support functions, from HR to Finance, to Business Development and Planning and Logistics, our team is built to give Safran Seats an end-to-end capability in house in the UK.

We focus on :

We believe in and foster the conditions for diversity and inclusion to thrive.

Job Requirements

Educated to at least first-class degree level in a relevant engineering discipline, you will have a proven track record in engineering design and project delivery, with experience from within the aerospace industry, ideally with aircraft interiors - Essential.

Previous experience from an engineering management and / or project management role is required, as well as demonstrable experience of technical problem solving. Essential.

You will possess strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to establish effective working relationships across departments. Essential.

Leadership : Proven ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams. Essential.

Analytical thinking : Strong analytical thinking skills to drive project success. Essential.

Communication : Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information for executive-level reporting. Essential.

Negotiation : Skilled in internal negotiation to advocate for project priorities and resources. Essential.

Market Knowledge : Deep understanding of the market dynamics and customer needs related to the project. Essential.

Technical Knowledge : Background in the technical aspects of product development within the industry. Essential.

Financial Acumen : Strong understanding of financial principles and business case development. Essential.

Behavioral skills : Tenacious, determined, and motivated by achievement of targets. Essential.

Continuous Improvement Mindset : Desirable.

Knowledge of Internal Safran Standards : Desirable.

Specificity of the Job

Potential travel required domestically and internationally.

Safran is open to receiving applications from candidates outside of the UK and can provide a mobility allowance.

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