Lead Structural Engineer met vast contract vacatures

Principal Manufacturing Engineer

Date: Dec 3, 2025

Location: Papendrecht, NL

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

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

It's boarding time!

For our production site at Papendrecht, we are looking for a Principal Manufacturing Engineer. In this role you provide technical expertise at the site and program level, for operational and development programs, to enable and deliver zero defect projects. Utilizing engineering and problem solving skills. You are accountable for delivering robust, capable manufacturing process technology as it applies to materials, tooling, part fabrication and assembly.

What you'll do

• Exemplifying a safety-first mind-set and ensuring compliance with the GKN Aerospace Health, Safety and Environmental policies and standards.

• Technical expertise at a site and program level, in governance and deployment of manufacturing development and integration for production within GKN Aerospace.

• Provides technical expertise to rapidly solve issues pertaining to customer schedule and/or quality.

• Breaks down technical problems, risks, opportunities, in the correct order to create products and add value to GKN Aerospace through creating Zero Defects process.

• Leads positive, team relationships with internal and external customer.

• Participates in change board and configuration management plan. Is a fully competent Technical Community Member, understands relationships between other discipline's and what influences them.

• Make sure manufacturing definitions of the value stream are according to global, customer and authority regulations.

• Provide site and program technical oversight for industrial engineering support of manufacturing process development, and integration for production.

• Responsible for the first time right output of the ME team.

• Technical leading the ME team, and implementing continuous improvements to guarantee the most efficient way of working.

What you'll bring

• Technical expertise in Manufacturing Engineering, with a professional qualification or background (university working level) in engineering; Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical.

• A recognized authority and presenter of the program in the field, for customers and source of information for others.

• Capable of taking a strategic view

• Operates with minimal supervision in a complex environment, demonstrates detailed knowledge in aerospace programs

• Identifies, anticipates technical problems and customer's requirements; offering solutions and applying them

• Applies knowledge and skills to a range of activities, acts as a source of technical expertise to others

• Input to strategic and other issues which affect the business internally and externally

• Co-ordinates and coaching teams to meet challenging technical and customer needs

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering in aerospace is preferred.

• Detailed knowledge of quality system models such as ISO9000, AS9100,D1-9000.

• Fluent in English language, both written and spoken.

• Strong commercial awareness.

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 L2, 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 a competitive 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

Fokker Elmo, part of GKN Aerospace, is a leading player in the design, manufacturing and support for the Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) for Aerospace and Defense programs To make the wiring harnesses, we have everything in-house from start to finish. From complete engineering to our final product, the ready-to-use wiring harnesses, we do this for well-known aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Collins Aerospace and Lockheed-Martin. We produce these wiring harnesses worldwide at several sites. In Papendrecht we have approximately 1200 employees. This is what Fokker Elmo is all about: quality and therefore airworthiness.

How to apply

Please apply online latest December 22nd 2025 by sending us your cv and Cover Letter. Due to data privacy reasons we do not handle any applications sent by email. For additional questions you can contact Duggert, Talent Acquisition, via .