Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description:

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 Manufacturing Engineer will serve as a technical authority for composite manufacturing processes supporting both production and development programs. This role leads the design, optimization, and control of composite fabrication processes to achieve zero‑defect performance, stable operations, and continuous improvement.

Job Responsibilities

Develop, validate, and sustain manufacturing processes for prepreg layup, autoclave cure, bonding, NDI/NDT, machining, and assembly of composite components.
Generate manufacturing plans, ply books, process specifications, and tooling requirements for complex composite structures.
Lead root cause and corrective action (RCCA) activities using structured problem‑solving methodologies.
Evaluate and introduce new composite materials, tooling concepts, and cure technologies to improve capability and reduce cost.
Collaborate with design engineering on DFM, materials, laminate design, and configuration control.
Support proposals with labor estimates, tooling strategies, and process development planning.
Execute continuous‑improvement projects to drive reductions in scrap, rework, cycle time, and variability.

Job Requirements:

Job Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
3+ years of experience in aerospace composite manufacturing, including fabrication, tooling, or autoclave/oven-cure processes.
Working knowledge of composite materials and production methods such as layup, bonding, and cure.
Must be a U.S. Person per ITAR regulations to comply with export compliance requirements, with ability to obtain a Department of Defense security clearance if needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with NDI/NDT techniques (ultrasonic, X‑ray, tap test).Familiarity with composite machining, trimming, secondary bonding, or assembly.
Proficiency with PFMEA, control plans, SPC, or other process‑control tools.
Leadership or mentoring experience in a manufacturing environment.Lean, Six Sigma, or related continuous‑improvement training.

Relocation Assistance

This position is based in Tallassee, AL, with relocation assistance available. Nearby communities such as Auburn, Wetumpka, Opelika, and Montgomery offer a range of residential options within commuting distance.

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 are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.

Job Ident #: 1364767233

Company Details

GKN Aerospace

3951 Alabama Highway 229
Tallassee, Alabama 36078 USA
www.gknaerospace.com/

GKN is a global engineering business. We design, manufacture and service systems and components for most of the world’s leading aircraft, vehicle and machinery manufacturers. We are continuously evolving, pioneering new technologies and reinventing existing...

Benefits:
To be discussed at time of employment

Supported Manufacturers:
Boeing
Airbus
Lockheed Martin

Supported Models:
787
A350XWB
F-35

(Job and company information not to be copied, shared, scraped, or otherwise disseminated/distributed without explicit consent of JSfirm, LLC)

Job Info

Location

Tallassee, Alabama, United States

Type

Permanent

Company Details

GKN Aerospace

3951 Alabama Highway 229
Tallassee, Alabama 36078 USA
www.gknaerospace.com/