Technical Manager

Stirling Dynamics; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive package

Regular events

Job summary

Stirling Dynamics in Bristol is seeking a Technical Manager for the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability to lead the team, shape strategy, and ensure tools, processes, and resources meet project needs now and in the future.

The role balances hands-on technical work with line management, capability development, and interaction with external suppliers. Flexible working allows home-based work part of the week; SC clearance is required or obtainable.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a related discipline.
• Post‑graduate qualification to a Master’s degree or Doctorate in a relevant specialisation (desirable)
• Membership of an Engineering Body (desirable)
• Chartered Engineer Status (desirable)

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership on projects within the capability.
• Ensure tools, processes and resources are available for delivery.
• Manage external suppliers including tendering and quality audits.
• Balance hands-on technical work with leadership and capability development.
• Oversee annual budget needs for internal development of capabilities and processes.
• Collaborate with other Technical Managers for cross-functional alignment.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Diplomatic approach

Multi-tasking

Change management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's/PhD desirable

Engineering body membership desirable

Chartered Engineer desirable

Tools

Matlab

Nastran

Ansys Fluent

Job description

Overview

Stirling Dynamics is recruiting for a Technical Manager for the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability group.

The successful candidate will join the senior management team and will be responsible for the development and management of the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability, ensuring that the team has the right technical capabilities and tools and processes in place to meet the various project requirements, both now and in the future. The Technical Manager is the focal point for technical excellence, resource planning for the capability and ensuring continuous improvement within the domain.

The Structural and Fluid dynamics group provides detailed analysis for loads and flight physics projects covering:

• Flight loads
• Ground loads
• Aeroelastics
• Vibration
• Test support

The group also contains the CFD capability, which carries out analysis for:

• External aerodynamic flow for support to new aircraft and aircraft modifications
• Internal aerodynamic flows
• Hydraulic flow for the support in the design of hydraulic equipment
• Thermal analysis
• Acoustics

The modelling toolsets that are currently used by the group include:

• Matlab
• Nastran
• Ansys Fluent

As Technical Manager you should have industrial experience in some of these above areas and a good appreciation and understanding of the others. You will also be expected to balance hands‑on technical work and leadership together with the management activities of capability development, resource planning and line management.

This role will be based in our Bristol office however as part of our commitment to flexible working, employees are able to work from home for part of the week.

Due to security restrictions on some of our projects, the successful candidate must currently hold Security Check (SC) clearance or be eligible to obtain SC

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability, including day to day management and longer-term strategy. This is a varied role covering the below areas:

Technical

• Provide technical leadership or support on projects where required
• Ensure appropriate technical support is available for customer interactions, either through team members or personal involvement
• Manage external suppliers within the technical area, including tendering and quality audits
• Facilitate the team’s ability to deliver by ensuring the right people, tools, and processes are in place
• Act as the focal point for tools within the technical area
• Evaluate current toolsets and identify needs for new tools or upgrades, developing business cases where new tools are required and leading their implementation
• Ensure tools are used effectively to support delivery and innovation

Process

• Allocation of the Structural and Fluid Dynamics team members in line with the project requirements
• Define and manage annual budget needs for internal development of capabilities and processes in line with company objectives
• Support business development activities
• Contribute to project proposals and bids, including technical solutions and estimated quantity of work
• Hold technical checks and/or approvals for the capability area in line with the delegated authority
• Act as the process owner for the technical domain, identifying missing or outdated processes and leading updates
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and push for process change where needed
• Own and manage bench tasks to support capability development and delivery readiness
• Collaborate with other Technical Managers to ensure cross-functional alignment and consistency

People

• Support the capability team members to ensure that they have continued development in line with the individual's and company's needs
• Facilitate the recruitment of suitably qualified and skilled engineers to support the growth of the company

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a related discipline
• Post‑graduate qualification to a Master’s degree or Doctorate in a relevant specialisation (desirable)
• Membership of an Engineering Body (desirable)
• Chartered Engineer Status (desirable)

Essential skills

The personal qualities of the jobholder will be key to success in this role. The following characteristics and qualities are identified as essential for the role:

• Able to engage and successfully lead engineering teams in order to achieve a successful outcome
• A diplomatic and professional approach to dealing with a range of different people
• The ability to manage multiple, complex tasks
• Willingness to embrace change and to implement new processes
• The confidence and experience to propose solutions to technical and organisational problems
• Embracing the Stirling company values and promoting them among the team

Experience

• Significant industry experience in relevant sectors (ideally aerospace)
• Demonstrable experience in line management and managing engineering teams
• Demonstrable experience in technical leadership
• Experience in a customer facing role, from a technical and/or business development perspective

Benefits

Competitive package - Grade 7-8 (£65,000+) depending on experience

We offer a range of benefits to our employees to recognise their efforts. Playing hard is equally as important as working hard, so regular events are held throughout the year which provide an ideal opportunity to mix socially.