Advanced Stress Engineer

Vertical Aerospace; Bristol (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday + bank holidays

Share scheme

Performance based bonus

Pension scheme 5% matching

Health and wellbeing service (Help@Hed

Breakfast on us

Job summary

Vertical Aerospace is seeking an Advanced Stress Engineer to join our Airframe Engineering team in Virginia. You will perform stress analysis on metallic and composite aircraft structures to support design, testing and certification.

You’ll develop analysis methods, support material qualification programmes and structural tests, and work with Design, Loads, Test, Certification and Materials teams to resolve engineering challenges. Strong FEA and judgment are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Experience performing stress analysis of metallic and composite aerospace structures.
• Strong understanding of structural mechanics, load paths and failure modes.
• Experience using hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) techniques.
• Experience supporting structural testing, validation activities or material qualification programmes.

Responsibilities

• Carry out stress analysis of metallic and composite aircraft structures to support design development and certification.
• Develop methods and analysis approaches from first principles, using tools and automation to maximise efficiency.
• Contribute to new technology introduction, material qualification programmes and structural test campaigns.
• Perform dynamic response, vibration, impact and transient structural analysis, with technical guidance where needed.
• Work with Design engineers to assess structural options and recommend improvements against weight, performance and certification requirements.
• Prepare structural substantiation and verification reports for technical review, and contribute to checking analysis within your experience.
• Collate certification evidence and support compliance activities.
• Work closely with Design, Loads, Test, Certification and Materials teams to resolve structural engineering challenges.

Skills

Stress analysis

Structural mechanics

FEA

Hand calculations

Testing support

Cross-functional collaboration

Engineering judgement

Communication skills

Tools

ANSYS

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 airliner-level safety certification in 2029 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers.

We’re looking for an Advanced Stress Engineer to join our Airframe Engineering team and help develop the structures of our next-generation aircraft.

You’ll combine your knowledge of structural mechanics with practical stress analysis experience to support design, testing and certification. Taking ownership of defined analysis tasks, you’ll work alongside senior engineers on more complex assessments and continue to develop your technical expertise.

This role will suit someone who enjoys solving structural engineering problems, working across disciplines and contributing to improvements in analysis methods and tools.

What You’ll Do

• Carry out stress analysis of metallic and composite of aircraft structures to support design development and certification.
• Develop methods and analysis approaches from first principles, using tools and automation to maximise efficiency.
• Contribute to new technology introduction, material qualification programmes and structural test campaigns.
• Perform dynamic response, vibration, impact and transient structural analysis, with technical guidance where needed.
• Work with Design engineers to assess structural options and recommend improvements against weight, performance and certification requirements.
• Prepare structural substantiation and verification reports for technical review, and contribute to checking analysis within your experience.
• Collate certification evidence and support compliance activities.
• Work closely with Design, Loads, Test, Certification and Materials teams to resolve structural engineering challenges.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience performing stress analysis of metallic and composite aerospace structures.
• A strong understanding of structural mechanics, load paths and failure modes.
• Experience using hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) techniques.
• Experience supporting structural testing, validation activities or material qualification programmes.
• Strong analytical thinking and sound engineering judgement within complex development environments.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• The ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Desirable experience includes:

• Method development, numerical modelling or automation of analysis processes.
• Dynamic response, transient, impact or crashworthiness analysis.
• Fatigue and Damage Tolerance methodologies.
• eVTOL, Advanced Air Mobility or other innovative aerospace programmes.
• Experience across the full product development lifecycle, from concept through certification and in-service support.
• Familiarity with SC-VTOL, CS-23, CS-25, CS-27 and CS-29 certification frameworks.
• Technology development, research programmes or advanced material qualification activities.

You don’t need experience in every desirable area. We’re interested in the capability you bring today and your potential to develop further.

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

We may just be the hardest job you've ever had, but we're confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.

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.