Design and Certification Specialist

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Date: 17 Aug 2026

Location: Gatwick, GB

Salary:Up to £72,000 plus a Market Related Supplement - dependent upon experience

Contract Type:Permanent Full time

Security Level:SC

Location:Gatwick, London, Manchester, Stirling / Hybrid

Visa Restrictions:This position does not currently offer visa sponsorship

Closing Date: 13 September 2026

Interview Date: 29 September
2026

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety and environmental protection standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

As a Design and Certification Specialist – Aircraft Noise, you will be responsible for supporting the overall business plan and supporting the wider CAA, specifically in establishing and delivering the UK’s ICAO State of Design responsibilities.

Reporting to the Principal Specialist for Propulsion & Mechanical Systems, you will be accountable for the technical investigation/analysis and approval of noise certification projects, across all civil aerospace domains including commercial air transport, general aviation, certified unmanned air vehicles and innovation projects.

This is a varied role that will include significant interaction with industry representatives both remotely and in person. It will also involve the review and approval of new parts and products and their design changes, validation of other nations’ certifying authorities’ work as well as the investigation of the UK Design Organisations’ design approvals.

Industry and regulatory engagement will be required to ensure that the CAA keeps appraised of future projects, the proposed introduction and development of new and innovative technologies and any proposed regulatory changes.

You will also be expected to work to the CAA’s internal policies and procedures in your day-to-day role.

• Promote a safety and learning culture that is risk based but also satisfies our basic statutory and international needs including compliance.
• Act in accordance with the CAA’s HR policies, applying our values and behaviours policies in their day-to-day role.
• Actively contribute to Personal Development Conversations, including future personal development and progression opportunities.
• Create time to learn and develop.
• Ensure that all recommendations and decisions are proportionate to the needs of the sector and are consistent with extant regulatory policy (using objective risk assessment techniques as necessary)

Evaluate noise certification projects, as directed by the Principal Specialist for Propulsion & Mechanical Systems, in relation to aerospace products.

These may include submissions from both UK Design Organisations and those provided for validation under bilateral arrangements.

• Determine compliance with aircraft noise certification requirements, including approval of product changes, through sampling of submitted applicant data in accordance with the Level of Involvement principles.
• Establish, maintain and disseminate CAA’s aircraft noise databases and Type Certificate Data Sheets for Noise to facilitate the issuance of noise certificates to individual aircraft registered in the UK.
• Support the development of noise certification requirements by determining and establishing policies related to environmental limitations to ensure consistent and unambiguous worldwide strategy and regulations for product environmental protection;
• Provide expertise for other core functions of the Authority to ensure a high level of environmental protection; and
• Provide leadership on product environmental protection and participate in globally strategic discussions on future certification concepts to ensure a uniform worldwide level of environmental protection, to support industry and to promote UK CAA expertise.

About You:

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate industry experience with an equivalent qualification, be a proven expert with detailed knowledge of…