Programme Chief Engineer

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 Electronics & Defense offers its customers onboard intelligence solutions allowing them to understand the environment, reduce mental load and guarantee a trajectory, even in critical situations, in all environments: on land, at sea, in the sky or space. The company harnesses the expertise of its 13,000 employees towards these three functions: observe, decide and guide, for the civil and military markets.

Programme Chief Engineer Wolverhampton 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:
Competitive salary and annual bonus and pay review 25 days' holiday  bank holidays Private medical insurance Comprehensive health cash plan Flexible working options Pension (10% employer contribution) and life assurance Early finish on Fridays Professional development, ongoing training, mentoring Onsite amenities: parking, restaurant, bicycle storage, showers Family-friendly and accessible workplace policies 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 About Safran Actuation Systems UK Safran Actuation Systems UK is a world-class centre for the design, manufacture and support of actuation and flight-control solutions used across commercial, military and rotary platforms.

With major sites in Wolverhampton and Banbury, our teams play a critical role in delivering innovative, reliable and safe systems that keep aircraft performing at their best. Our UK Actuation business brings together engineering excellence, advanced manufacturing capability and a proud heritage within the aerospace sector. Whether supporting major global programmes or developing the next generation of actuation technologies, our people are at the heart of everything we do.

As part of Safran's global network, joining Safran Actuation Systems UK means becoming part of a highly skilled, collaborative and forward-thinking team with opportunities to grow, innovate and make a meaningful impact in the future of aerospace. We are looking for passionate individuals to join our Global Defence Systems team as Programme Chief Engineer at our Wolverhampton site. 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 may better facilitate your participation.

Your Role The Programme Chief Engineer will act as the technical authority for the Electro-Mechanical Actuation (EMA) product line within the Global Defence Systems value stream. This role leads the engineering effort across the Integrated Project Team, ensuring decisions are made effectively, technical challenges are resolved, and customer expectations are met. You will work closely with the IPT Lead (programme/system ownership), while owning technical leadership, architecture decisions, customer technical engagement, and engineering governance.

Provide technical leadership to the IPT, ensuring EMA systems are delivered to regulatory and customer requirements. Own the system architecture and ensure compliance across the full lifecycle: proposal, definition, design, verification, manufacturing, sustainment. Make informed, timely technical decisions and drive engineering clarity when working with incomplete or uncertain data. Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, ensuring alignment and efficient problem-solving.

Act as the primary technical contact for major customers (e.g., Lockheed Martin). Lead customer and supplier technical discussions, reviews, and negotiations. Support relationship-building and alignment, especially where challenges currently exist…