Senior Stress Engineer

Leonardo UK Ltd; Easter Howgate; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading company in defence electronics as a Stress Engineer where you will play a critical role in the Mechanical Engineering Analysis Team. You will ensure compliance of radar, laser, and infrared countermeasures with customer specifications, contribute to the entire product lifecycle, and have access to training for career progression. We seek an innovative self-starter committed to continuous improvement within a collaborative team environment.

Benefits

Generous leave and flexi-days

Award-winning pension scheme

Free mental health support

Bonus scheme eligibility

Access to online courses

Referral rewards

Flexible benefits package

Hybrid working options

Qualifications

• Post-graduate experience in stress engineering is required.
• Chartered Engineer status or proof of associated competencies preferred.
• Experience in design and development of aerospace systems.

Responsibilities

• Assess mechanical designs for strength and safety against requirements.
• Provide guidance on structural improvements for component sustainability.
• Support product development throughout all stages from design to certification.

Skills

Structural Analysis

Finite Element Analysis

Mechanical Engineering Principles

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering

Tools

Siemens Simcenter

Nastran

Job description

Job Description:

Your impact

Are you ready to make a real impact in a global leader of defence electronics? At Leonardo, we have an exciting opportunity for a Stress Engineer to join our Mechanical Engineering Analysis Team in Edinburgh, supporting the development and sustainment of cutting-edge defence systems.

You'll contribute to the full product lifecycle—from concept and design through to certification, production, and in-service support—helping to ensure our radar, laser, and infrared countermeasure systems meet demanding structural and environmental requirements.

Your primary focus will be on providing structural verification to demonstrate compliance with customer and regulatory specifications. This includes analysing designs, advising on structural integrity, and clearly communicating your findings to project teams and airworthiness authorities.

This is a collaborative role, working across multi-disciplinary teams and engaging with both internal and external stakeholders. We value engineers who combine strong technical ability with a drive for continuous improvement and team development. In return, you’ll have access to training, mentorship, and clear opportunities for career progression.

Typically, you will:

• Assess mechanical designs for strength, durability (fatigue), performance and safety against regulatory and customer requirements through application of appropriate methodologies i.e. finite element techniques and/or classical hand calculations.
• Provide guidance on structural design improvements relating to component sustainability and manufacturing considerations.
• Provide recommendations on component or sub assembly optimisation i.e. mass reduction, reduced part count etc.
• Support the selection of manufacturing technologies and materials based on a sound understanding of mechanical engineering principles e.g. statics, dynamics (vibration and shock), strength of materials and failure mechanisms.
• Support all structural aspects of product development from concept design through to test and certification.

What you’ll bring

• A degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering, with post-graduate experience working in a stress engineering team.
• Professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer or proven associated competencies.
• Experience in the design, development and test of electronics packaging and/or aerospace systems equipment.
• Proven knowledge of structural analysis, with a background in developing equipment for extreme operating environments, meeting standards such as RTCA DO-160 and MIL-STD-810.
• Proficiency in Finite Element Analysis (FEA), ideally using Siemens Simcenter and Nastran.
• Solid understanding of structural fundamentals, including load balancing, free-body diagrams, and the ability to perform classical hand calculations—either to validate FEA results or as an alternative when appropriate.
• Hands-on experience with environmental testing methods (e.g., shock, vibration, acceleration) and the ability to analyse and post-process test data for design verification.
• A self-starter who can work independently while also thriving in a collaborative team environment.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

Primary Location:

GB - Edinburgh

Additional Locations:

GB - Newcastle

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working: