Design Engineer

Design Engineer

Date: Jul 10, 2026

Location:Garden Grove, CA, US

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Compensation Data

Salary Range: $91,083.00 - $113,853.00

Job Summary

The Design Engineer supports the development and implementation of aerospace engineering solutions for structures, composites, tooling, transparencies, and related systems. This role is responsible for creating compliant engineering designs, resolving technical challenges, and supporting product development from concept through manufacturing. The Design Engineer works closely with cross-functional teams to ensure designs meet customer, regulatory, airworthiness, cost, quality, and schedule requirements while contributing to successful program execution. Strong CAD skills, technical problem-solving abilities, and aerospace engineering knowledge are essential for success in this role.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement, under supervision, technical solutions and compliance documentation for work packages to ensure they are compliant with all relevant customer, regulatory, and airworthiness requirements, within agreed program, schedule, and manufacturing constraints.
• Assist Team Lead or Chief Engineer in the execution of the Engineering Deliverables meeting the applicable Technical Requirements (including Manufacturability, Certification / Qualification Requirements) against agreed Schedule and Cost Objectives.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve technical problems and apply/integrate solutions.
• Develop, execute, and/or verify methods of plans, toolsets and approaches that are appropriate and compliant to achieve the design and program objectives.
• Analyze customer requirements and define the associated technical solutions as input for bids and proposals within assigned programs/projects.
• Identify and assess technical risk and propose mitigations relevant to the work package within assigned programs/projects.
• Develop and check design complies to the cost and manufacturing requirements using appropriate techniques for design such as Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) and design to cost.
• Create design definitions of a work package, including integration, interfaces, dimensions, materials, parts, manufacturing process requirements, assemblies, and tolerances which are compliant to all design requirements and objectives.
• Support the creation and delivery of training material and initiatives relevant to a work package or program.
• Support, create and participate in technical and customer reviews, including formal gate reviews, including the creation and preparation of technical data and presentations of a work package.
• Process and verify documentation such as concessions and non-conformances, and provide technical support by implementing solutions to address non-conforming products, designs, and compliance documentation.
• Perform all activities with supervision and support other engineers within the work package required.
• Identify improvements and check and/or approve work instructions, procedures, technical manuals, and guidelines.
• Support operations and support manufacturing engineering team in translation of the product design and manufacturing requirements of a work package in a manufacturing design during prototype build and serial manufacturing, where applicable.
• Support the qualification process of products within a work package, and prepare and/or check compliance documentation to internal, customer, and regulatory requirements, where applicable.
• Must possess a level of engineering functional knowledge (typically Technical Excellence Framework level 2 or higher in the appropriate Area of Expertise)
• Must possess technical expertise especially in the Aerospace industry and in the functional area the project/program is responsible for (eg. Design, Analysis, EWIS, etc.) in order to successfully support the tasks in the work package of the program.
• Must possess a high level of technical problem solving skills

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or related fields.
• 3 years of experience in engineering in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience utilizing CAD software such as CATIA, NX, and/or Solidworks.
• U.S. Citizen with ability to obtain a Department of Defense Security Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Able to act under own initiative in relation to the relevant work package boundaries within defined functional procedures / governance.
• Ability to describe and present technical information of a technical work package to a wide audience at equivalent levels within the engineering business.
• Ability to document and clearly present data, reports, and presentations to internal and external customers
• Solid approach/understanding to the delivery of engineering tasks.
• Demonstrates knowledge of GD&T philosophy and dimensional stack-up tolerancing.
• Able to work and communicate within a cross functional team (Operations/Production, Sales/Customer Relationship Management, Supplier Management) and support discussions on Development, Finance, Strategy/Mergers/etc.
• Able to support budget compliance within a work package.
• Able to implement changes within the engineering business area.
• Worked in cross-cultural teams.
• Able to accommodate business travel as needed to support various manufacturing facilities, including internationally.

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further.  And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN.  We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute.  It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’.  By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.​
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Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles