Senior Actuation Systems Engineer

In this role you will safeguard the structural integrity and certification readiness of flight-critical actuation systems for our Valo eVTOL. You will collaborate with internal and external teams to influence design, analysis, and verification, driving robustness and safe operation as we scale from prototype to certified aircraft. This role places you at the intersection of engineering judgment, risk management, and supplier governance to support the 2028 certification milestone. You will help shape actuation hardware that underpins our flight control architecture, enabling safe, scalable eVTOL operations.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday
• 5 extra days per year to buy/sell
• 5 extra days holiday for marriage/civil partnership
• Additional 4% of salary on benefits
• health and wellbeing
• Performance-based bonus scheme

• Perform static strength, fatigue, endurance, and vibration stress analyses using classical methods and FEA for actuation system components
• Lead stress input on design changes, concessions, and certification evidence
• Critically assess supplier designs, analysis reports, test plans/results, and documentary support; ensure alignment with VA requirements and standards
• Guide suppliers on expected stress methodologies, documentation standards, and verification rigor
• Support design development of actuation mechanisms, interfaces, and assemblies; collaborate with mechanical design, systems engineering, test, and integration teams
• Drive robustness, manufacturability, and reliability improvements in actuation hardware
• Define, execute, and interpret system-level tests; correlate results with analytical models and support certification documentation
• Assess structural risks and margins; propose mitigations and prioritize workstreams per programme timelines
• Use CATIA for 3D model interrogation; employ FEA software for meshing, analysis, and optimisation; use JIRA for task/risk tracking; produce high-quality substantiation documentation

• Strong experience in stress analysis of aerospace or other safety-critical actuation systems
• Familiarity with flight control actuators and their structural behaviour and verification considerations
• Proficiency in classical stress methods and FEA
• Experience with structural testing (strength, fatigue, endurance, vibration)
• Proficiency with CATIA or equivalent CAD tools
• Experience with safety-critical engineering and risk assessment processes
• Experience critically reviewing supplier designs and applying supplier engineering governance
• Strong organisational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities
• Experience with JIRA or similar project/problem management tools
• Excellent communication, influencing, and collaboration skills
• Self-starter capable of independently leading technical projects

• Excellent communication and influencing abilities
• Collaborative mindset with cross-functional teamwork
• Proactive, self-driven project leadership
• CATIA
• FEA (finite element analysis) software
• Classical stress analysis methods