Senior M&P Engineer- Surface Coating

Vertical Aerospace; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering aerospace company in the UK seeks a Senior Engineer for Surface Treatment. In this technical role, you'll lead initiatives that drive innovation and ensure compliance with certification standards. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree in engineering and experience in aerospace M&P roles. This position demands strong collaboration skills and offers the chance to work in a dynamic environment focused on cutting-edge electric aviation technologies. A flexible and supportive culture awaits those ready to embrace challenges.

Benefits

26 days holiday, plus bank holiday

Company performance-based bonus

Company Share Scheme

Qualifications

• Proven experience in an Aerospace M&P engineering role.
• Strong understanding of aircraft certification requirements and processes.
• Knowledge of aerospace certifying standards, specifically SC VTOL.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of Surface Treatment technologies.
• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert for Surface Treatment M&P engineering.
• Architect a strategic Surface Treatment technology roadmap.

Skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Technical expertise in Surface Treatment

Experience in aerospace certification

Education

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant engineering discipline

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. 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. Valo is targeting air‑liner‑level safety certification in 2028 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers, and the VX4 in service by 2030.

What to expect

As our Senior Engineer, Surface Treatment M&N, you'll lead the implementation of our Surface Treatment technologies focused on building a state‑of‑the‑art product. Your primary mission will be to establish the technological foundation of our Surface Treatment M&P, growing our portfolio to meet the demands for more advanced solutions. This is a critical technical role that directly impacts the successful development and certification of our Valo platform. You'll use your strong interpersonal skills to collaborate with internal and external customers, translating their needs into flawless technical solutions.

What you'll do

• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all Surface Treatment M&P engineering initiatives.
• Partner with Design, Manufacturing, and Stress Engineering teams to ensure optimal material selection for high-performance applications.
• Engineer state-of-the-art M&P specifications that drive technical innovation and maximize product value.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to define, validate, and publish an approved materials list.
• Architect a strategic Surface Treatment technology roadmap to scale the Valo platform and streamline industrialisation.

Impact & Influence

• Partner with Tier 1 suppliers to iteratively refine and modernise M&P specifications, ensuring industry-leading standards.
• Mentor and upskill Design & Stress Engineering teams by distilling complex Surface Treatment M&P knowledge into actionable design principles.
• Serve as a cornerstone of technical reviews, providing the critical, data-driven insights necessary for high-stakes decision making.
• Advise Integrated Product Teams (IPT) to ensure engineering solutions achieve a synergy between performance requirements and M&P constraints.

Certification Responsibilities

• Integrate certification requirements into the Type Specification Engineering Dataset, ensuring all release documentation meets stringent compliance standards.
• Authorise and certify M&P specifications to ensure alignment with aerospace and industrial regulations.
• Oversee Special Process Qualifications both internally and across the global supply chain to maintain rigorous quality control.
• Validate engineering datasets, providing final approval to ensure absolute compliance with certification and operational mandates.
• Accelerate the Test Pyramid development, strategically identifying opportunities to secure development and certification credits.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Proven experience in an Aerospace M&P engineering role.
• Proven technical expertise in the development and certification of advanced Surface Treatment M&P.
• Strong understanding of aircraft certification requirements and processes.
• Comfort working with certification.
• Track record of successfully guiding teams to achieve ambitious technical objectives and meet tight schedules.
• Knowledge of aerospace certifying standards, specifically SC VTOL.

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

• 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.