Principal Performance Engineer

Principal Performance 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 Principal Performance Engineer, you will act as the Aircraft Performance focal point for Valo. You will be responsible for managing Valo’s performance figures, leading the aircraft performance certification strategy, defining the compliance approach, and representing Performance in direct engagement with CAA, EASA, and FAA. This role combines deep technical expertise with certification leadership. You will own the integrity, traceability, and control of aircraft-level performance data, ensuring that published figures, internal targets, and certification evidence remain aligned. Working closely with Flight Test, Aerodynamics, Flight Controls, Safety, and Certification, you will ensure performance compliance is robust, defensible, and delivered on schedule. What You’ll Do - Own and manage Valo’s aircraft-level performance figures, ensuring accuracy, configuration control, and traceability - Lead the development of aircraft performance certification plans and compliance strategies - Act as the Aircraft Performance focal point for Type Certification activities - Define and agree performance compliance approaches with CAA, EASA, and FAA - Lead regulatory engagement for performance topics, including technical issue resolution and negotiation - Oversee flight test performance validation, ensuring alignment between modelling, simulation, and test results - Provide technical leadership to the wider performance team during certification campaigns - Support cross-functional trade studies to ensure performance targets are achievable, consistent, and certifiable - Mentor the performance engineers What You’ll Bring - 10+ years of experience in aircraft performance engineering within a certificated aerospace environment - Direct experience working with at least one of: CAA, EASA, or FAA - Proven ability to negotiate technical positions with aviation authorities - Strong understanding of aircraft-level performance modelling, validation, and data control - Experience supporting or leading flight test performance validation - Confidence operating at both detailed technical level and strategic certification planning level - Clear, structured communication when engaging with regulators and cross-functional engineering teams 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 ... (truncated, view full listing at source)