Lead Engineer

Role details

Job Summary

The Lead Engineer – Aerospace Interior Design is responsible for leading the design, development, integration, and production support of aircraft interior products and systems. This position provides technical leadership throughout the complete product lifecycle, from concept development and customer requirements through detailed design, certification, manufacturing, installation, and delivery.

The Lead Engineer works closely with customers, Program Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Certification, and other engineering disciplines to develop aircraft interior solutions that meet customer expectations, structural requirements, regulatory requirements, weight targets, cost objectives, manufacturability, and program schedules.

The position requires strong experience in aircraft interior design, mechanical design, engineering drawings, materials and manufacturing processes, configuration control, and FAA/EASA certification requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Provide technical leadership for aircraft interior design and development programs.
• Lead and mentor design engineers, mechanical engineers, designers, and CAD professionals.
• Establish engineering priorities and coordinate technical activities to meet program milestones.
• Review and approve engineering drawings, designs, calculations, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Conduct design reviews and ensure engineering deliverables meet customer and regulatory requirements.
• Provide technical direction and resolve complex engineering and manufacturing problems.
• Coordinate engineering workload, assignments, priorities, and schedules.

Aircraft Interior Design & Development

• Lead the design and development of aircraft interior components, assemblies, and installations.
• Develop concepts and detailed designs based on customer specifications, aircraft requirements, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure proper integration of interior components with aircraft structures and surrounding systems.
• Review aircraft interfaces, installation requirements, clearances, tolerances, attachment methods, and maintainability.
• Perform or review tolerance stack-ups and engineering calculations.
• Evaluate designs for weight, strength, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.

Products may include:

• Passenger and VIP cabin interiors, Interior monuments, Galleys, Lavatories, Closets and storage units, Cabinetry and furniture, Sidewalls and ceiling panels, Bulkheads and partitions, Flooring systems, Decorative panels, Composite and honeycomb panels, Seats and seat integration, Cabin lighting integration, Interior attachment structures and brackets, Crew rest Modules

CAD & Engineering Documentation

• Develop and review 3D models, assemblies, installation models, and detailed engineering drawings.
• Ensure drawings comply with company drafting standards, GD&T requirements, and customer requirements.
• Review Bills of Materials (BOMs), Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), and configuration documentation.
• Maintain accurate product configuration and revision control.
• Ensure design data is properly released to Manufacturing and Supply Chain.
• Support Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and ERP processes.
• Experience with CATIA V5, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or equivalent aerospace CAD software is highly desirable.

Materials & Manufacturing

• Provide engineering guidance regarding aircraft interior materials and manufacturing processes, including:
• Composite and honeycomb sandwich panels
• Aluminum structures and sheet metal
• Machined components
• Thermoplastics
• Laminates and decorative finishes
• Veneers and hardwood components
• Adhesives and bonding systems
• Inserts and fasteners
• CNC-machined components
• Formed and fabricated components
• Apply Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA)principles to reduce manufacturing complexity, cost, and production risk.
• Work directly with Manufacturing Engineering and Production to resolve design and manufacturing issues.

Certification & Regulatory Compliance

• Support aircraft interior certification activities and ensure designs comply with applicable requirements, including:
• FAA regulations
• EASA requirements, when applicable
• 14 CFR Part 25 requirements
• Flammability requirements
• Emergency egress requirements
• Structural and occupant safety requirements
• Customer-specific certification requirements
• Work closely with Certification Engineers, DERs, ODA organizations, and testing laboratories as required.
• Support preparation and review of certification documentation, test plans, test reports, compliance documentation, and engineering substantiation.

Structural & Technical Analysis

• Coordinate with structural engineering teams to ensure designs meet applicable load and strength requirements.
• Support or review:
• Static load requirements
• Structural substantiation
• Attachment and interface loads
• Stress analysis
• Weight analysis
• Material selection
• Test requirements
• Qualification and certification testing
• Ensure engineering assumptions and design requirements are properly documented.

Program & Customer Support

• Serve as a technical engineering interface with customers and program teams.
• Participate in customer design reviews and technical meetings.
• Translate customer requirements into practical engineering solutions.
• Provide engineering status, technical risks, and recovery plans to Program Management.
• Support proposal development, technical evaluations, and engineering estimates.
• Evaluate customer-requested design changes and determine their impact on cost, schedule, weight, certification, and manufacturing.

Manufacturing & Production Support

• Provide hands-on engineering support during prototype, First Article, and production builds.
• Investigate and resolve manufacturing discrepancies and installation issues.
• Review Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs) and develop appropriate engineering dispositions.
• Support Material Review Board (MRB) activities as authorized.
• Develop permanent corrective actions for recurring engineering or manufacturing problems.
• Work with Quality and Manufacturing Engineering to improve first-pass yield and reduce rework.
• Support installation and fit-check activities as required.

Engineering Change Management

• Review and approve Engineering Change Requests and Engineering Change Orders.
• Evaluate changes for technical, certification, manufacturing, cost, and schedule impacts.
• Maintain configuration control throughout the product lifecycle.
• Ensure engineering changes are properly communicated to Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline required.
• Master’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline is a plus.

Experience

• 7–10+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, aviation, or aircraft interior products preferred.
• Minimum 3+ years of technical leadership or lead engineering experience preferred.
• Strong experience with aircraft interior design and manufacturing.
• Experience taking products from concept through design, certification, production, and installation is highly desirable.
• Experience working with commercial, business, VIP, or defense aircraft interiors is preferred
• Experience with offshore centers seamless is required

Technical Skills

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong knowledge of:

• Aircraft interior design and integration
• Mechanical design principles
• 3D CAD modeling and detailed drawings
• GD&T
• Engineering drawings and specifications
• Composite and honeycomb structures
• Aircraft interior materials
• Mechanical fastening and bonded assemblies
• BOM and configuration management
• Engineering change control
• Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA)
• Manufacturing processes
• Root Cause Analysis
• FAA/EASA certification requirements
• Aircraft interior flammability requirements
• Microsoft Office applications
• Experience with CATIA V5, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, PLM/PDM, and ERP systems is beneficial.

Leadership & Management Skills

• Strong technical leadership and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to mentor and develop junior engineers and designers.
• Strong project and task-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple engineering priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with customers, manufacturing personnel, suppliers, and senior management.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance may be evaluated based on:

• Engineering schedule adherence
• On-time drawing and design releases
• First-pass design approval
• Engineering change cycle time
• Reduction in manufacturing rework
• Design-related NCR reduction
• Product weight performance
• Engineering hours versus budget
• Certification milestone achievement
• Program milestone achievement
• Manufacturing readiness
• Customer satisfaction
• Technical problem resolution
• Engineering team development

Preferred Experience

Preference may be given to candidates with experience in business jet, VIP, commercial aircraft, or defense aircraft interiors, including interior monuments, cabinetry, composite panels, structural attachments, and cabin integration.

Experience working directly with aircraft OEMs, completion centers, Tier 1 aerospace suppliers, certification organizations, and aircraft interior manufacturers is highly desirable.

Position Expectations

The Lead Engineer is expected to take technical ownership of assigned aircraft interior programs and ensure designs are safe, compliant, manufacturable, cost-effective, and delivered on schedule.

• The successful candidate will combine strong aircraft interior design expertise with practical manufacturing knowledge and technical leadership. The individual must be comfortable working directly with engineering teams, customers, manufacturing personnel, suppliers, certification organizations, and program

Pay: $125,000.00 - $145,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Do you have any engineering experience in the Aerospace industry? If yes, how many years?

Experience:

• GD&T: 3 years (Preferred)
• Mechanical design: 3 years (Preferred)
• Root cause analysis: 3 years (Preferred)
• 3D modeling: 3 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person