Senior Actuation Systems Engineer

Senior Actuation Systems Engineer 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 2028 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers. What to Expect As a Senior Actuation Systems Stress Engineer, you will play a critical role in ensuring the structural integrity, safety, and certification readiness of flight critical actuation systems. You’ll work closely with internal engineering teams and external suppliers, influencing the design, analysis, and verification of electromechanical actuators and structural components that support the aircraft’s flight control architecture. Expect a fast-paced environment where your engineering judgement, ability to manage technical risks, and capability to challenge supplier work will directly impact overall programme success. What You Will Do Structural Analysis & Verification - Perform static strength, fatigue, endurance, and vibration stress analyses for actuation system components and mechanisms. - Apply classical methods and FEA to substantiate structural integrity. - Lead stress input on design changes, concessions, and certification evidence. Supplier Engineering Governance & Critical Assessment - Critically assess supplier designs, analysis reports, test plans, test results, and supporting technical documentation. - Apply supplier engineering governance processes to ensure alignment with Vertical Aerospace requirements, engineering standards, and configuration rules. - Guide suppliers on expected stress methodologies, documentation standards, and verification rigour. Design Development & Cross Functional Collaboration - Support design and development of actuation mechanisms, structural interfaces, and assemblies. - Work collaboratively with mechanical design, systems engineering, test, and integration teams. - Drive improvements in robustness, manufacturability, and reliability of actuation hardware. Testing & Verification - Support the definition, execution, and interpretation of system level tests. - Correlate test results with analytical models and support certification documentation. Safety, Risk & Decision Making - Assess structural risks, safety considerations, and margins, recommending appropriate mitigations. - Prioritise multiple workstreams and tasks in line with programme timelines. Tools & Documentation - Use CATIA for 3D model interrogation and supporting design development. - Use FEA software for meshing, analysis, and optimisation activities. - Use JIRA for tracking tasks, risks, and issues. - Produce high quality technical documentation including analysis reports and structural substantiation. What You Will Bring - Excellent communication skills with the ability to challenge, influence, and collaborate effectively. - Self-starter, who can independently lead technical projects. - Strong experience in stress analysis of aerospace or other safety critical actuation systems. - Familiarity with flight control actuators including their structural behaviour, loading environments, and verification considerations. - Proficiency in classical stress methods and FEA. - Experience with structural testing such as strength, fatigue, endurance, and vibration. - Experience using CATIA or equivalent CAD tools. - Familiarity with safety critical engineering and technical risk assessment processes. - Experience critically reviewing supplier designs and applying supplie ... (truncated, view full listing at source)