Principal Engineer - Engineering Support

Acro Aircraft Seating is one of the Uk's leading and fastest growing manufacturers of passenger seats for commercial airlines around the world. We are an agile, innovative business at the forefront of disrupting the aerospace market. Through modern methodologies, lean techniques, inspired innovation, and passion to be the best, Acro is positioning itself to be the world's leading aircraft seating supplier.

Collaboration is one of Acro's core values, by working together and applying our skills and expertise across Sales, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and Operations, we find the solutions to our clients' most complex challenges and how we deliver our promises today and tomorrow.

Job Description

As Principal Engineer – Engineering Support you will lead and develop a team of engineers and technical specialists responsible for delivering high quality engineering support across the full product lifecycle. This role is accountable for resolving in-service and production issues, ensuring robust and compliant engineering solutions, driving continuous improvement across products and processes, and leading aftermarket engineering projects.

You will act as the focal point for all post-handover engineering activity, taking ownership of technical issues affecting products in service and production, including support of critical Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events, while supporting key business functions including Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and Operations. The role requires strong technical leadership, effective stakeholder management, and the ability to balance customer, operational and business requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, direction and development for the Engineering Support team, managing priorities, workload and resources to ensure effective delivery of departmental objectives and customer commitments.
• Take ownership of engineering support activities following handover from Programmes, ensuring technical issues are managed effectively throughout the product lifecycle.
• Act as Engineering Project Lead (EPL) for aftermarket, in-service and product improvement projects, coordinating cross functional activities and managing technical deliverables, risks and priorities to achieve quality, cost and schedule objectives.
• Act as the primary technical focal point for products in service and production, leading the resolution of complex technical, production, supplier and in-service issues, including AOG events, customer enquiries and operational issues, through structured problem solving and effective stakeholder engagement.
• Provide technical oversight of design activities, including 3D modelling, drawing creation and updates using CATIA V5 where required, and conduct design reviews to ensure compliance with safety, quality, certification and performance requirements.
• Lead the Technical Publications function and manage concessions, production permits, engineering changes, Service Bulletins (SBs), Service Information Letters (SILs) and other technical documentation, ensuring appropriate governance, review and approval processes are followed.
• Ensure all engineering activities comply with the Acro BMS, certification basis, regulatory requirements and industry standards, maintaining product integrity and continued airworthiness.
• Support Safety Action Group (SAG) activities, significant in-service investigations, technical audits and compliance activities, liaising with regulatory authorities, customers, airframers and design organisations as required.
• Deliver clear and accurate management information, including KPIs, performance metrics and forecasts, to support decision making and business planning.
• Ensure lessons learned are captured and embedded into future designs, processes and engineering practices to drive continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with customers, suppliers, airframers, design organisations and regulatory stakeholders, including travel where required.

Skills and experience required

• A Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering degree achieved at 2:1 or above
• Experience with, aptitude for and commitment to structured problem solving methods
• Experience working in the aircraft seating or interiors industry
• Demonstrable experience leading, coaching and developing engineering teams
• Very strong work ethic and excellent analytical skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to interpret and respond to customer and operational requirements
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate with and influence stakeholders within the business
• Attention to detail and the ability to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Experience of working in a rapidly growing and challenging business
• Working knowledge of Part 21 Sub Part J and G and Part 145
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Pension contributions up to 5%
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 37.5 hours per week - 1 pm finish on a Friday
• Hybrid working (1 day a week working from home)
• Enhanced…