Senior Certification Manager

Vertical Aerospace; Bristol; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

5 extra days to buy or sell

Company performance-based bonus

Company Pension Scheme

Breakfast provided daily

Job summary

Vertical Aerospace in Bristol is looking for a Senior Project Certification Manager to lead the innovative certification program for the Valo, their eVTOL aircraft. This role involves collaboration with engineering, suppliers, and regulatory bodies globally.

Ideal candidates will bring over 10 years of experience in aircraft certification, with strong negotiation skills and a thorough understanding of compliance standards. The position offers robust benefits and a collaborative work environment focused on electric aviation.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in aircraft type certification or major modification.
• Strong foundation in regulatory/airworthiness standards.
• Proven experience in interacting with aviation authorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the certification programme from design to type certification.
• Define the certification basis and means of compliance.
• Oversee configuration management and design changes.

Skills

Aircraft type certification experience

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Leadership and management

Project planning

Excellent communication

Problem-solving skills

Education

10+ years in aerospace

Job description

Our Mission

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

What To Expect

As our Senior Project Certification Manager, you’ll lead the certification programme from the early stages of design all the way through to type certification. You will be the key liaison between engineering, suppliers, and regulatory authorities globally.

Reporting to our Head of Airworthiness, you will play a key part in our certification efforts as we seek to certify the novel Valo design.

What You'll Do

• Defining the certification basis and means of compliance, negotiating with civil aviation authorities
• Leading development of certification plans, test proposals, verification/validation (V&V) strategy, and inspection & qualification campaigns
• Ensuring compliance in all technical domains (software, hardware, structural, systems, interiors, propulsion) with industry standards and regulations
• Managing physical inspections, flight tests, environmental tests and other verification activities
• Overseeing configuration management, design changes, and maintaining traceability of certification requirements
• Leading and mentoring a team of certification, compliance, and technical specialists
• Proactively identifying risks, resolving threats to schedule, and addressing potential obstacles to certification
• Collaborating with suppliers to ensure their parts, processes and documentation satisfy certification requirements
• Supporting continued airworthiness post-certification and managing modifications or changes

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years of experience in aircraft type certification or major modification/STC/major regulatory engagements in aerospace, preferably with highly regulated domains
• Strong foundation in regulatory/airworthiness standards (equivalent to CS/FAR Part 23/25/27/29 or their global analogues), software & hardware compliance standards (DO-178C / DO-254), environmental qualification (DO-160 or equivalent), and systems safety & reliability (ARP4754A, ARP4761 or equivalents)
• Proven experience in interacting with aviation authorities internationally, negotiating technical requirements/methods of compliance, and delivering projects through audit or authority review
• Leadership & management experience: building teams, mentoring engineers, managing cross‑disciplinary stakeholder interfaces
• Strong project planning, risk management, configuration control, and problem‑solving skills
• Excellent communication: able to translate complex technical/certification issues into program‑level strategy and reports
• Adaptability, bias for action, and ability to thrive in fast‑paced aerospace R&D / certification environment

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

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.