As we mark International Women’s Day 2026 [Sunday 8 March], we celebrate the talented women already shaping the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors.
Diverse perspectives strengthen innovation, resilience and growth, which is why our New Professionals Forum Special Interest Group is so valuable for members. This inclusive peer-led network is dedicated to supporting all those new to our sectors as they navigate their careers.
Through this Q&A, we hear from one inspiring NPF member, Becky Gilbert, Supplier Development Engineer at GKN Aerospace. Hear more about Becky, her progress in her career so far and her take on what is needed to attract and retain more women in the UK’s aerospace and defence sectors.
Becky – tell us about your career so far…
I’m a Supplier Development Engineer at GKN Aerospace, based out of the Global Technology Centre in Bristol. I began my career in agency recruitment and spent a short period in Business-to-Business (B2B) IT sales, where I developed strong business development, relationship management and commercial skills.
I later moved into HR and talent acquisition, leading recruitment for technical engineering for the Hydrogen Systems team and early careers programmes. Through that work I developed a strong interest in the manufacturing and supply chain environment, which led me to transition into supplier development.
In my current role I work closely with suppliers to improve performance, capability and resilience across the aerospace supply chain. I’m passionate about encouraging more women to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing and about showing that career paths don’t have to be linear (mine is the perfect example).
Why pivot into supplier development?
My move from talent acquisition into supplier development came from developing a growing interest in the technical and operational side of the business during my time working alongside the Supplier Development team supporting with their recruitment. I wanted to be closer to that side of the organisation and better understand how the supply chain supports manufacturing and delivery.
Many of the skills from HR and my earlier commercial roles carried across more naturally than I expected, particularly stakeholder management, influencing, business development and working collaboratively to drive improvement. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to try something new, which was a little daunting but has been hugely rewarding.
How can we make aerospace and defence more attractive for women?
My honest answer is… we probably need to stop acting like it isn’t already.
From my own experience, three things really stand out…
First, visibility matters more than we think. Early in my career I could count the number of senior women in technical or operational roles on one hand. The further I’ve progressed, the more I’ve been lucky enough to work with brilliant women leading programmes, driving innovation and running complex supply chains. I now work in a team that is predominantly female, which is genuinely refreshing, and interestingly we often get positive feedback from suppliers about the different dynamic that brings. When girls and early career talent can actually see women doing these jobs, it stops feeling like a boy’s club and starts feeling achievable.
Second, we need to update the narrative of the industry. People often assume aerospace and defence is rigid, old school and all about heavy engineering. In reality, a big part of my career involved partnering with the GKN Hydrogen Systems team, working on technology linked to the future of cleaner flight. Now in supplier development, I get to visit some seriously impressive, state of the art manufacturing facilities and see the sustainability work happening across the supply chain. It’s innovative, forward thinking and, honestly, pretty cool. We just don’t always shout about that side enough.
And finally, flexibility. I’m a mom of three (my other full time job), this one is personal. If an industry makes you feel like you have to choose between having a career or having a life, women will quietly opt out before they even apply. When organisations genuinely support flexible working and recognise that careers don’t have to follow one perfect linear path, women don’t just join, they stay and progress.
Get those three things right and we won’t need to “make” the industry attractive to women.
We’ll just be showing it for what it already is.
Interested in joining the New Professionals Forum?
The New Professionals Forum (NPF) is a thriving networking and professional development forum for industry professionals new to the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors. The NPF is an inclusive and supportive group and is always keen to welcome new members.
Join the NPF here!
