Chief Stress Engineer

Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Ltd; Denham; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Friday early finish

Training & development

25 days annual leave

Cycle to work

Job summary

Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Ltd in Denham invites a Chief Stress Engineer to lead structural integrity governance within the Mechanical Engineering group. You will act as the Technical Lead, overseeing complex stress analyses and signing off critical engineering documentation to uphold the highest international standards for safety-critical aerospace technology.

This full-time role offers 1-on-1 mentorship, external training in digital metrology systems, and the chance to influence manufacturing

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in structural stress analysis of aircraft or related equipment.
• Mastery of FEA tools and mechanics principles; familiarity with aerospace standards.
• Chartered Engineer status with recognized professional body is essential for signatory duties.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and approve complex structural stress, fatigue, and damage-tolerance analyses.
• Act as immediate signatory for critical engineering documentation and data approvals.
• Contribute hands-on to core project stressing activities, not just reviews.
• Provide stress input into engineering change reviews and material assessments.
• Lead concessional and structural failure investigations and root-cause analysis.
• Adapt quickly to changing priorities across the product lifecycle with agile problem solving.

Skills

Stress analysis

FEA skills

Chartered Engineer

Aerospace structures

Sign-off authority

Root-cause investigations

Education

Master’s degree in aerospace structures

BEng in aerospace structures

Chartered Engineer status

Tools

Ansys Mechanical

NASTRAN

LS-Dyna

Job description

Pure Technical Authority. Safety-Critical Governance. Trust it with lives!

Advance your career in a senior role where technical stress governance meets real-world, life-saving impact. As the Chief Stress Engineer within our Mechanical Engineering group at Denham, you will act as a dedicated Technical Lead and the ultimate authority on structural integrity. From executing complex finite element analysis to signing off critical engineering documentation, your expertise ensures our safety-critical aerospace technologies are validated to the highest international standards.

Direct Impact, Global Scale. Life-Saving Mission.

At Martin-Baker, the work we do matters. We design, manufacture and support life-saving equipment used by aircrew around the world. Our products operate in demanding environments, where quality, reliability and attention to detail are critical.

We’re proud of our long history in aerospace and defence, also focused on the future. Joining Martin-Baker means becoming part of a business with a clear purpose, strong engineering capability and a long-term commitment to its people, products and customers.

Whether you work in engineering, operations, commercial, finance, supply chain or support functions, your contribution helps deliver equipment that protects lives. It is challenging work, but it is also meaningful, and with over 7,800 lives saved, it gives our people the opportunity to be part of something with real impact.

The Opportunity

Working full-time alongside our technical specialist, you will act as a vital line of defence to ensure absolute measurement integrity across our manufacturing operations. This role offers deep day-to-day variety, substantial technical training investment, and an opportunity to shape work that has not previously been done. You will receive full 1-on-1 mentorship as well as external training to develop your skills in emerging digital metrology systems.

What You’ll Do

• Technical Governance: Oversee, execute, and formally approve complex structural stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and damage tolerance analysis across projects.
• Signatory Authority: Apply the highest professional standards as an immediate signatory for crucial engineering documentation, data approvals, and compliance verification.
• Active Project Contribution: Remain hands-on by actively contributing directly to core project stressing activities rather than only reviewing work from a distance.
• Engineering Change & Material Reviews: Provide decisive stress input into engineering change reviews and support complex material review applications.
• Failure Investigations: Lead and conduct thorough concessional and structural failure investigations, employing robust root-cause decision-making.
• Agile Problem Solving: Move quickly between unrelated technical matters at short notice, responding efficiently to changing priorities across the product lifecycle.

What We’re Looking For

• Extensive Stress Analysis Expertise: Deeply established, substantial experience heavily focused on the direct analysis of aircraft structures or ancillary equipment attached to aircraft.
• Technical Mastery: Masterful expertise in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods, mathematical modelling, structural mechanics, vibration, and fatigue analysis. Familiarity with tools like Ansys Mechanical, NASTRAN, or LS-Dyna is highly advantageous.
• Credentials: A Master’s degree or BEng in aerospace structures.
• Professional Status: Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with a recognised professional body (e.g., RAeS, IMechE, IET) is essential to enable immediate signatory duties.
• Sector Focus: Proven experience within a high-integrity Aerospace or Defence environment is required; purely research-oriented experience will not suit our active production environment.
• Operational Drive: A delivery-focused problem solver with the agility and responsiveness required to provide technical answers within short timeframes.
• Share and demonstrate the Martin-Baker values.

Our Values

At Martin-Baker, we value professionalism, understanding, teamwork, humility, accountability and integrity. We look for people who take pride in their work, collaborate openly and act with care because the work we do matters.

What We Offer

• Excellent pension package with strong employer support — Martin-Baker contributes 9% of your salary (non-contributory to the employee), with further employer contributions that grow as you increase your own
• Lunchtime finish on a Friday
• Personalised training and development plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Occupational Health team
• Workplace Nursery Benefit scheme
• Cycle to work scheme

We believe in equal opportunity, committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone is respected. We want you to be able to do your best work.

Martin-Baker is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, showing our support and commitment to our Armed Forces and their families, proudly supporting those who serve.

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

The role also involves access to information governed by U.S. Export Control Laws (including ITAR); therefore, all applicants must satisfy ITAR eligibility requirements.