Senior Stress Engineer

The role

A Senior Stress Engineer will perform stress analysis of airframe structures and lead structural assessments of composite and metallic structures. The role involves defining analysis strategies, leading small technical teams, and supporting certification activities for next-generation aircraft.

What you will do

• Performing stress analysis of airframe structures and developing optimised solutions.
• Leading structural assessments of composite and metallic structures using first-principles calculations and finite element analysis.
• Defining and executing analysis strategies aligned with programme and certification requirements.
• Leading small technical teams and coordinating analysis activities across multiple projects.
• Mentoring and supporting the development of junior engineers.
• Producing and approving structural substantiation reports and supporting certification activities.
• Collating verification and certification evidence to demonstrate compliance.
• Acting as an approval signatory for technical reports and engineering drawings.
• Collaborating with Design, Loads, Certification, Test and Manufacturing teams.

Required qualifications

• Significant experience performing stress analysis on metallic and composite aerospace structures.
• Strong understanding of both hand calculations and finite element modelling techniques.
• Experience developing and executing structural substantiation strategies.
• Ability to identify load paths, predict structural behaviour and assess structural failure modes.
• Familiarity with technology development and material qualification.
• Experience selecting materials and developing structural concepts from early design stages.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence technical decision-making across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience leading engineers and coordinating analysis activities.

Nice to have

• eVTOL, Advanced Air Mobility or other innovative aerospace programmes.
• HyperWorks and other advanced FEA toolsets.
• Automation of analysis and modelling workflows.
• Fatigue & Damage Tolerance analysis.
• Crashworthiness and impact assessment methodologies.
• Experience across the full product lifecycle, from concept development through certification and in-service support.
• Familiarity with SC-VTOL, CS-23, CS-25, CS-27 and CS-29 certification requirements.
• Technology development and material qualification programmes.

Benefits

• 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
• Company Share Scheme
• Company Pension Scheme - 5% and we match it
• Breakfast on us, every day

About the company

Vertical Aerospace is pioneering the way for electric aviation with the Valo eVTOL aircraft. The company is growing from a prototype business to a scaling SME.