Home
Vacancies
Principal / Senior Principal Sector Engineer – Fan Case

About The Role
Location: Bristol hybrid working (2 days in the office as a minimum)

Salary: £56,641 - £77,183 depending on experience + benefits

At NCC, we’re shaping the future of civil aerospace—from eVTOLs to next-generation passenger aircraft and rotorcraft. Our work spans structures, propulsion, fuel systems, control systems, landing gear, braking systems, and interiors.
We’re seeking a Principal Sector Engineer to lead the technical delivery of a customer aero-engine fan case development portfolio within the civil aerospace team, directly reporting to the sector Chief Engineer.

What you’ll be doing

The role focusses on developing manufacturing composite fan case solutions for high-bypass turbo fan engines in close collaboration with the customer and industrial partners under Collaborative Research & Development (CR&D) and Private Venture (PV) funding routes. As a technical leadership position, you will be expected to manage internal and external stakeholders, lead research teams, plan research and Technical Readiness Level (TRL) progression and monitoring.

What we’re looking for:

A proactive and accountable leader with a commitment to high performance culture, attention to detail and a willingness to challenge the status quo through leadership, governance and effective risk management.

Strong customer engagement skills, ensuring clear requirements and communication.

A structured, capable engineer with proven experience in advanced composite manufacturing development for aerospace or similar sectors.

Proven experience in manufacturing development of turbo fan aero-engine components (ideally composites).

A systems thinking mindset, able to manage complexity, uncertainty and competing technical, commercial, programme and quality requirements.

Extensive knowledge of composite materials, manual and automated manufacturing processes, particularly AFP and ATL and component assembly.

Experience of composite tooling, design, process simulation, digital manufacturing technologies and inspection techniques.

Demonstrated ability to lead multi-disciplinary technical teams in R&D, ideally within TRL 3–6.

Experience in supply chain engagement activities and ability to build productive supplier relationships.

Please see the attached job description for more details.

Closing date for applications: 23:59 Sunday 23rd August 2026.
Please don't wait for the closing deadline if you are interested in this role as we retain the right to close the applications process early depending on the volume of candidates applying.

What we offer in return

• 12.5% employer pension contribution
• Private medical cover
• Hybrid and flexible working as standard
• Support to keep learning and progressing
• University of Bristol honorary staff status
Notes/Brief for Recruitment Team:
About The Company
Who are NCC?

NCC is a world-leading innovation organisation that turns cutting-edge research and technology into industrial impact.

What we do

We help manufacturers take on bigger challenges - whether that’s building cleaner aircraft, scaling up offshore wind, or strengthening the UK’s supply chains. We’re here to deliver practical outcomes, not prototypes that sit on shelves.

Who we work with

We work across 16 sectors, from defence and energy to infrastructure and space. Some projects are with global tier 1s, others with small UK firms solving one specific problem - the works always varied, and always real.

What it’s like here
We’re not a startup. We’re not a corporate. We’re a national centre with the kit, time and people to do the job properly. The teams are focused, the thinking is sharp, and you’ll be trusted to get on with it.

Why this job matters
This role isn’t just internal support - it’s part of how we deliver nationally important work. If we do our job right, the UK’s manufacturers can do theirs better.

Not sure you meet all the requirements? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs if they think they may not meet every qualification, when in fact they often do. At the NCC we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We ensure that all hiring decisions are made without regard to age, race, national origin, sex, disability, gender, gender identity, religion, or any other protected characteristics, and will treat all applications with the strictest confidence. We’re always open to hearing how we can support flexible working in different ways, including part-time work. Please don’t be afraid to ask about what we can do to support your needs including alternative ways to apply. Please contact [email protected]. All requests will be carefully and fairly considered. We wish you every success in your job search.