Structural Design Engineer

Leonardo S.p.A.; Yeovil; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Hybrid working

Private healthcare

Career development

Job summary

Leonardo UK in Yeovil is seeking an experienced Structural Design Engineer to lead and deliver structural design solutions for a wide range of helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned systems. You will own work package plans, coordinate with other engineering teams, and drive best practices in a Safety-first environment.

The role requires aerospace engineering education or equivalent experience, knowledge of FEA and design regulations, and proficiency with CATIA V5/ENOVIA.

Qualifications

• Apprenticeship/HNC/HND/First degree level as a minimum in aerospace engineering.
• Knowledge of sheet metal fabrication design, machining, composites, aerospace fasteners and joint types and aircraft design regulations (MAA, EASA or FAA).
• Experience with aircraft loading, structural analysis, FEA, stress plots, load paths, fatigue/damage tolerance in rotorcraft structures.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development and supportability of product and processes for aircraft contracts and in-service support.
• Improve policies and processes within engineering frameworks.
• Own work package plans with milestones and workload allocation.
• Conduct risk analysis and budget management.
• Direct the team on technical specialism and engineering processes.
• Resolve complex multidisciplinary issues within and outside engineering.
• Promote best practices and safe behaviours.

Skills

Aerospace engineering knowledge

Finite element analysis

CATIA V5

ENOVIA VPM

Leadership

Risk analysis

Education

First degree in aerospace engineering

Tools

CATIA V5

ENOVIA VPM

Job description

Job Description: Are you an experienced professional engineer with a passion for delivering technical excellence? Are you ready to play a pivotal part in the continued growth in our capability for the future?

Your impact

We are looking for an experienced Structural Design Engineer to act as a role model within our Helicopter division to promote an ownership and responsibility culture by leading and driving activities within the Structures team. You will be responsible for developing structural design solutions, in collaboration with other engineering departments and key stakeholders, for our wide product range encompassing conventional helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air systems. Our Structures team supports both the UK and Italian geographies so there is the opportunity to work on our full product range and you will have the pride of seeing your structural designs on our product ranges, grow from a 3D concept through to installation and flight.

What you’ll do as a Structural Design Engineer

• Lead design / development / supportability of product and or processes to ensure successful delivery of activities for aircraft contract delivery and in service support
• Make recommendations to improve policies and processes within the engineering frameworks
• Approve and own work package plans associated with the allocation and deployment of team members and workload with suitable milestones to enable effective engineering and product reporting
• Risk Analysis and Budget management
• Direct the team on technical specialism, domain expertise, engineering process and tool use
• Resolve complex multidisciplinary issues raised from within and outside of engineering
• Promote a culture of best practice
• Inspire, promote and communicate safe behaviours to ensure that team members understand and adhere to their safety responsibilities

What we need from you

• Apprenticeship/HNC/HND/First degree level as a minimum or equivalent level of experience in aerospace engineering.
• Good knowledge of the following; sheet metal fabrication design and/or machining design and/or composites design and/or aerospace fasteners & types of structural joints and/or aircraft design regulations (MAA, EASA or FAA).
• Experienced level of knowledge of types of aircraft loading, typical structural analysis failure criteria, material allowables, finite element analysis process, interpretation of stress plots, load paths, design features that generate peak stresses, design failure mitigation techniques and of design considerations for fatigue & damage tolerance in rotorcraft structures.
• Advantageous in this role are:
  • Ability to use the CATIA V5 design package and ENOVIA VPM part management system to derive aircraft design context and produce structural designs and associated drawings to issue standard OR equivalent systems.
  • Eligibility for registration as an Incorporated or Chartered Engineer with the engineering Council.
  • Membership of a relevant engineering institution.

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

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

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.

Primary Location: GB - Yeovil - Lysander Rd

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Hybrid