Manufacturing Engineer - Product & Planning

Manufacturing Engineer - Product & Planning

Date: Aug 1, 2026

Location:Papendrecht, NL

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 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

We are looking for a skilled Production Planner (Productievoorbereider) to join our team and support both operational and development programs.  You will apply your technical expertise to convert design data into production and manufacturing instructions and related data.  You will also support the production team on a daily basis as the primary point of contact for the ME team.
You are able to work independently, and systematically, maintaining a focus on both quality and costs. You possess a strong sense of perseverance, are proactive, and have excellent communication skills.

Job Responsibilities

• Analysis and interpretation of source design and other Engineering data to determine the requirements for production of a part or assembly and define the most efficient manufacturing process
• Creation of manufacturing bills of material from design data and inputting these into the various systems used to manage master data
• Determination of the materials and tools required for the execution of each manufacturing step and presenting these appropriately within the manufacturing instructions and documentation
• Determination of working methodology, sequence of operations, processing times, and quality control requirements.
• Introducing new products and parts and implementing design, process and tooling changes within the manufacturing documentation and system.  
• Applying correct change control of master data related to changes.  Preparing the FAI’s to buy off said changes, and accompanying the manufacturing team during the implementation of changes.
• Apply continuous improvement mindset & approach, define & execute process improvements on a timely manner to achieve project targets and KPI`s.
• Enabling the production team with materials, instruction and supporting documentation for the execution of repairs and NC dispositions
• Taking part in problem solving and improvement activities, proactively triggering actions & collaboratively ensuring the right solutions with the aim of reducing NC’s and improving process throughput time, cost, and quality.
• Participation with the production team in daily planning, steering and coordination forums with the aim of prioritizing and execution of diverse production support activities.
• Providing input, guidance and support to the Tooling department for the creation, maintenance and improvement of production and ancillary tooling.
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Working within a multifunctional team (Procurement, Production, ME, Engineering, Quality, Logistics, etc.) in support of daily operational activities & product processing and delivery.
• Demonstrate a safety-first mindset and ensure compliance with GKN Aerospace Health, Safety, and Environmental standards.
• Apply ZERO Defects mentality to ensure operational excellence

Job Qualifications

• Secondary Vocational Education and Training (MBO4 / HBO) or Bachelor’s Degree in the direction of aerospace, mechanical or industrial engineering.
• A desire for growth within the role directed towards Manufacturing Engineering functionality & commitment for further engineering level education.
• Knowledge of production processes; company rules and safety, quality, environmental, security & export compliance regulations as applicable to the position
• Experience with and working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Knowledge of process assurance methods, such as SPC, FMEA and APQP (or willingness to learn this on the job)
• Good command of both Dutch and English language, speaking and writing.
• Good communications skills and the ability to present yourself as well as technical content to a variety of internal and external audiences of different levels.
• Preferably work experience in production engineering / planning.  As a minimum; practical work experience in a production environment.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, able to identify technical issues, propose solutions, and apply non-routine analysis.
• Resident in the Netherlands & ability to work 100% on-site.

What's in it for you?

In addition to an innovative and international working environment that offers you a good work-life balance,
we offer you opportunities to learn and grow, a competitive salary (Grade K), pension plan, 27 vacation days/13 ADV days, and travel allowance (from 10 km one way).

How to apply?

Are you interested in this position and does your background meet the requirements? Then use the apply now button.
Questions? Please contact our Recruiter Koen van Stigt at View email address on careers.gknaerospace.com

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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