Advanced Design Engineer

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The VX4, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take-off and landing), ‘zero emissions’ aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky.

We won’t realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to ‘redefine’ aerospace best practices.

We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals of having the VX4 in service by 2030.

What to expect

We're searching for an Advanced Design Engineer who thrives on revolutionizing human mobility and developing carbon-free transportation. In our dynamic, fast-paced environment, your agility, pragmatism, and ingenuity will be crucial in tackling complex engineering challenges. You'll join a team of highly motivated engineers dedicated to crafting state-of-the-art solutions and cutting-edge technology to define optimal outcomes.

Joining the Airframe Department means you'll have the opportunity to partner with experts across various disciplines, including Stress, Manufacturing, Program, Material and Process, and Certification Engineers.

What you'll do

·         Contributing to the foundational airframe architecture. 

·         Defining optimal load paths, material and manufacturing processes selection for the Fuselage, Wing, Empennage, and Pylon. 

·         Partnering with Stress and Manufacturing engineers to design and implement optimal engineering solutions, incorporating essential functional requirements directly into our engineering datasets.

·         Generating comprehensive design engineering data, including 3D CAD models, tolerance analyses, composite ply definitions, and 3D annotations, to support program maturity gates and ensure design integrity.

·         Optimizing airframe designs for weight, cost, and producibility by maximizing the performance of cutting-edge material technologies. 

·         Providing active support to material allowable and test pyramid programs crucial for airframe development, contributing to robust and certified designs. 

·         Creating and deploying innovative model-based definition methods, tools and processes that streamline workflows and improved overall engineering efficiency.

·         Collaborating with internal and external system owners to negotiate critical interfaces, ensuring mutually beneficial results.

·         Actively participating in both informal and formal engineering reviews, providing critical insights and technical expertise. 

·         Providing essential front and second-line support to our production and flight test operations. 

·         Actively supporting certification activities through close collaboration with our Compliance Verification Engineers (CVEs) and airworthiness team.

What we'd like you to bring

·         Demonstrated proficiency with industry-standard CAD applications.

·         The ability to perform robust tolerance stack up hand calculations to validate design functionality.

·         A strong foundation in Geometrical Dimensioning & Tolerancing applications for parts details and complex assemblies.

·         A track record of successful design for both composite and metallic structures.

·         Preferably, a solid understanding of aircraft structural certification processes and the development of Means of Compliance.

·         Excellent communication skills that enable effective interaction and collaboration with a wide range of engineering specialists.

·         A proactive, challenging mindset coupled with exceptional collaboration skills.

What can you expect from us?

We're on a mission. Where others see limits, we see opportunity, and we work at pace. Working at Vertical isn't your average role but for those seeking a challenge, a flexible, supportive organisation and an incredible team; working here is an opportunity to do the best work of your career.

Our approach promotes ingenuity and courage, while our environment builds success through diligence in safety and being open in the way we work. The only way we're going to assure the next chapter of aviation history is by working as a team, relentlessly, towards our goal. 

Our benefits

Our people matter - we're not going anywhere without them. Which is why our company benefits go beyond the essentials.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday

• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)

• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership

• Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits

• Award-winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)

• Company performance based bonus - rewarding company and individual performance

• Company Share Scheme - open to every Vertical employee

• Company Pension Scheme - 5% and we match it

• Breakfast on us, every day

We may just be the hardest job you've ever had, but we're confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.

Disclaimer Statement

We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.