Due to an exciting period of growth, we are looking for a Materials & Process Engineer to join our Composite Centre of Excellence in Banbury.
In this role, you'll become a technical lead across materials and manufacturing processes for high-performance aerospace components.
If you are an ambitious engineer who already holds a couple of years industry experience and are looking for your next development opportunity, we'd encourage you to apply.
Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the fields of aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space and defense. Its mission is to contribute sustainably to a safer world, where air transport becomes ever more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Present on every continent, the Group employs 110,000 people and generated €31.3 billion in revenue in 2025. Safran holds, either independently or through partnerships, leading global or European positions in its markets.
Safran was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense sector in TIME magazine's ""World's Best Companies 2025"" ranking.
Safran Electronics & Defense is an international company with more than 19,000 employees who bring together expertise and team spirit to design high-technology solutions for the aerospace, defense and space sectors. By combining human and technological intelligence, the company develops products and services for both civil and military customers, operating on land, at sea, in the air and in space.
You'll be someone already on their journey to becoming a subject matter expert, and we'll give you responsibility for developing, validating and optimising materials and processes to ensure robust production readiness, continuous improvement and compliance. Working closely with Design, Quality, Operations and Supply Chain, you'll support both new product introduction (NPI) and the ongoing improvement of legacy programmes.
Not only do we offer a competitive salary, an attractive bonus and excellent work-life balance but the support and guidance of our highly skilled and friendly team of engineers.
What will your day-to-day responsibilities look like?
*Act as the technical authority for materials and processes across the site
*Lead materials and process selection for NPI activities, working with suppliers and engineering leadership
*Develop and maintain composite and metallic process specifications
*Define and execute material characterisation, qualification and validation testing
*Drive site materials and process strategy, including inspection and process validation methods
*Support NPI activity from prototype through to production handover
*Provide technical problem-solving support on-site and with suppliers, leading root cause analysis and corrective actions
*Support D/PFMEAs, control plans and process capability studies
*Ensure compliance with quality management systems and support customer, supplier and regulatory audits
*Maintain internal and external specifications and engineering documentation
*Ensure compliance with national and global legislation (including REACh)
*Identify and implement cost reduction and yield improvement opportunities
*Influence design-for-manufacture decisions through close collaboration with design engineering
*Mentor junior engineers and develop standard work
*Contribute to the wider Safran Actuation Materials & Processes community
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 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.
What will you bring to the role?
Essential skills:
* Degree qualified in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent, with strong experience in aerospace or automotive materials engineering
* In depth knowledge of Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC), including materials, manufacturing processes and in service performance
* Ability to lead materials and process development within a production manufacturing environment
Desirable skills:
* Experience with composite prepregs, liquid resin composites and machining of fibre reinforced components
* Experience qualifying PMCs for aerospace applications
* Knowledge of metallic materials, heat treatment and surface treatments
* Familiarity with aerospace standards and regulations (AS9100, EASA, FAA)
* Experience in a senior or lead engineering role
* Chartered Engineer status (or working towards)
* Strong understanding of Six Sigma, SPC and structured problem solving techniques.
Desired Skills and Experience
What will you bring to the role?
Essential skills:
* Degree qualified in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent, with strong experience in aerospace or automotive materials engineering
* In depth knowledge of Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC), including materials, manufacturing processes and in service performance
* Ability to lead materials and process development within a production manufacturing environment
Desirable skills:
* Experience with composite prepregs, liquid resin composites and machining of fibre reinforced components
* Experience qualifying PMCs for aerospace applications
* Knowledge of metallic materials, heat treatment and surface treatments
* Familiarity with aerospace standards and regulations (AS9100, EASA, FAA)
* Experience in a senior or lead engineering role
* Chartered Engineer status (or working towards)
* Strong understanding of Six Sigma, SPC and structured problem solving techniques.
