Lead Project Engineer (Mechanical Innovation) Vacancy details General information Entity Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran is in the 2nd place in the aerospace and defense industry in TIME magazine's "World's best companies 2024" ranking. Safran Seats is one of the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft seats, for both crew and passengers. 1 million Safran Seats-manufactured aircraft seats are currently in service with air fleets around the world. Reference 2026-177334 Position description Domain Performance and Support Job field / Job profile Project management - Project manager level 2 Job title Lead Project Engineer (Mechanical Innovation) Employment type Permanent Professional category Professional, Engineer & Manager Part time / Full time Full-time Job description Lead Project Engineer (Mechanical Innovation) Safran Seats - Cwmbran (South Wales) Hybrid Safran - Here, we craft excellence together. At Safran, excellence is a journey - and we'd love you to be a part of it. As a trusted global leader in aerospace, defence, and space, we are proud to be a company where diversity, innovation, and opportunity come together to shape a sustainable future where we can all succeed together through a shared vision. We are looking for passionate individuals to join our Research & Technology Department as a Lead Project Engineer for Mechanical Innovation in Cwmbran. Safran Seats is a 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 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 specialises 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. About the role: In this new role you will lead and deliver a pipeline of mechanical innovation projects that add value to our products, through a balanced focus on leadership and hands-on engineering. Working across premium seat subsystems, you will drive improvements in lightweighting, reliability and robustness, mechanism simplification, safety, passenger comfort/experience, cost and design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA). You will scope and secure external funding for innovation projects, lead a small team of engineers and trainees, and be accountable for the mechanical design, creation and maintenance of our showcase technology demonstrators. Scope of responsibilities: You will be responsible for defining and delivering mechanical innovations that differentiate our products and support future customer needs. Reporting to the Head of R&T, you will lead a small team, setting technical direction and providing day-to-day guidance. Your team will also manage departmental prototyping and workshop facilities and ensure effective use of wider company prototype/test services. Key Responsibilities and Duties - Deliver a portfolio of mechanical innovation projects that improve weight, reliability, safety, passenger comfort and cost. - Provide line management for a small team of engineers and trainees, including objective setting, performance reviews, and day-to-day coaching. - Secure financial support through proposals and engagement with funding bodies. - Provide hands-on technical leadership: perform and review mechanical design work, using analysis tools (e.g. FEA, tolerance and kinematics analysis) to de-risk designs. But what else? (benefits, specificities, etc.) Why work at Safran: - Be part of a global aerospace, defence & space business with over 100,000 Colleagues, across 300 sites in 30 countries. - We celebrate our differences and believe they make us stronger. We know that a fulfilling work environment is a key driver for innovative ideas and team success. -Join our mission to decarbonise aerospace and make the world a safer place. Your ambitions can take us further. - We can support your ambitions with training, development, a personalised career plan and mobility opportunities. - Join a team that values collaboration, integrity, and continuous improvement. Looking after the people who make Safran great is our priority. We offer a range of flexible benefits designed to support you-both in and out of work, including: - 33 days holiday (including bank holidays). - Industry leading pension scheme with salary sacrifice employer contributions up to 10%. - Private medical cover (to include Digital GP and rapid access Physio with no excess) with ability to upgrade level of benefit and cover family members. - Access to salary sacrifice benefits scheme including cycle to work and Octopus EV Scheme. - 4 x Life Assurance. - Interactive benefits platform including wide range of discretionary benefits including technology, retail benefits, income protection. - Enhanced family friendly policies and benefits (enhanced maternity and paternity leave) and employee assistance programme. - Annual share save schemes. Candidate skills & requirements What you'll bring: Knowledge, Experience, Training and Qualifications Essential: - Degree (or equivalent experience) in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline, with significant experience (typically 5 years) delivering mechanical systems from concept through detailed design. - High proficiency in 3D CAD, with experience using structural analysis (e.g. FEA) and tolerance/kinematic analysis to support design decisions. - Experience with PLM and configuration management tools and processes. - Practical, hands-on prototyping and workshop skills (e.g. mock-up build, basic fabrication, assembly and debugging of mechanical systems). Desirable: - Experience leading project work packages and providing mentoring or line management to engineers, graduates or trainees. - Proven experience designing for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) across relevant materials (e.g. metallics, composites, plastics). - Experience collaborating with external partners (e.g. universities, research organisations, technology suppliers) and contributing to externally funded innovation proposals. - Familiarity with structured technology maturation approaches, such as Technology Readiness Level (TRL) frameworks or equivalent. Competencies, Behaviours and Skills Essential: - Technical Leader - able to set clear direction, prioritise work and provide day-to-day guidance, coaching and support to an engineering team. You collaborate effectively beyond departmental boundaries. - Communicative - can explain complex topics clearly to non-experts, influence stakeholders and share learning verbally and in writing. Careful documentation of your work is second nature. - Practical - hands-on, comfortable engaging with prototypes and hardware, and applies a structured approach to diagnosing issues, generating options and converging on robust, practical solutions. - Organised - reliable in planning, prioritising and delivering multiple activities, balancing short-term delivery with longer-term development. - Innovative - actively explores new mechanical concepts, methods, tools and technologies, and brings well-judged ideas into Safran Seats to enhance products and processes. At Safran, we understand that diversity and inclusion make teams stronger and more effective, and as an organisation, we are committed to fair and equitable employment practices for everyone. We also know that some candidates may be put off applying for jobs where they don't meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the advert, however, we encourage anybody to apply if you can demonstrate a variety of skills and experience relevant to the requirements of this role. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the application or hiring process that that may better facilitate your participation. Position location Job location Europe, UK, Wales City (-ies) Llantarnam Industrial Park NP44 3HQ Cwmbran