At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic design team in creating innovative aerospace solutions.
- Company: Join AALTO, a pioneering Airbus subsidiary in Stratospace technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, 25 days holiday, private medical insurance, and more.
- Other info: Flexible working options available; we value your work-life balance.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of aerospace innovation and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in engineering and proven leadership experience required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Location: Farnborough
Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent
Hours: 37 – some flexibility with WFH
Travel: Occasional, Less than 10%
AALTO, a global leader in Stratospace, is an Airbus subsidiary that manufactures, operates, and delivers services with its solar-powered, stratospheric platform: Zephyr. Zephyr’s persistence enables continuous flight for months at a time, with a current flight-time record of over 67 days in the stratosphere. AALTO operates in a new operational layer between most of air traffic and low-Earth orbit, Stratospace, delivering services to commercial and government partners.
About The Role
We are seeking a Design Engineering Senior Manager to lead our expanding multi-discipline design team at our Farnborough site. You will provide technical leadership and people management across mechanical and electrical design and analysis activities, supporting new platform design and certification activities, along with sustainment and improvement of our legacy systems.
Responsibilities to include:
- Functional Leadership and Strategy: Build, lead and develop a multi-disciplinary Design Engineering organisation comprising mechanical design, electrical integration and structural analysis disciplines. Develop and execute the Design Engineering strategy supporting Zephyr's long-term product road-map, certification objectives, technology maturation plans and organisational growth. Own engineering performance metrics and drive continuous improvement across people, processes and tools.
- Product Development: Accountable for timely design and development deliverables. Maintain cost, schedule, and quality of technical baselines throughout the program life-cycle. Act as the internal champion for design best practice and influence strategic direction on material and supplier selection. Support design reviews, safety assessments, and regulatory audits.
- Product Sustainment: Collaboratively drive the change management process, managing resolution of obsolescence, manufacturing easement and improvement activities, aligning engineering priorities with company objectives. Review and approve where appropriate, engineering solutions for structural, mechanical, and electrical system modifications.
- Skills Development and Growth: Develop the team's personal and professional skills, coaching technical leaders and senior engineers while fostering a strong culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability and succession planning.
- Financial and Schedule Oversight: Estimating, budgeting and tracking of spend, approval of expenses, project spend and other business processes. Workforce planning, capital investment prioritisation, and resource allocation across multiple programmes.
- Regulatory and Process Compliance: Ensure engineering governance and processes are followed consistently. Maintain compliance with applicable airworthiness, certification, and safety requirements, liaising with external authorities such as the CAA if required.
Skills and Knowledge Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, electrical, or related engineering discipline.
- Proven experience leading, developing and mentoring technical leads and senior engineers.
- Ten years’ experience in engineering design and analysis through all product life-cycle stages in aerospace or a similarly regulated industry, ideally in a UK CAA Part-21 Design Organisation.
- Strong resource planning and prioritisation skills across multiple concurrent programs.
- Familiarity with lightweight aerospace composite structural design. Competent approval signatory for structures, ideally as a CVE is desirable.
- Experience in process improvement and deployment of new engineering tools and systems.
- Technical credibility and sound engineering judgement. Able to drive technical decision-making and root-cause corrective action, in complex aerospace environments.
- Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills. Able to communicate effectively with executive leadership, regulators, customers, and technical teams.
- Familiarity with aerospace engineering tools for requirements management, CAD, PLM and analysis and the ability to drive advanced adoption within the team.
In addition to an attractive market-aligned salary, we offer:
- Rewarding Excellence: Benefit from our short-term incentive plan that rewards your hard work and dedication.
- Enjoy Your Time Off: Benefit from 25 days of holiday to relax and recharge.
- Stay Healthy: We’ve got your health covered with private medical insurance, along with dental and optical cash back.
- Secure Your Future: Take advantage of our personal pension plan to ensure a comfortable retirement.
- Peace of Mind: Our income protection and life assurance schemes are there to support you when you need it most.
- Getting around: Drive the latest vehicles with our discounted salary sacrifice scheme.
- We Care About You: Our employee assistance programme is always available to provide the support you need.
- Perks Galore: Enjoy a range of employee discounts via Perkbox, from household goods to travel!
Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?
Design Engineering Senior Manager employer: AALTO
AALTO HAPS Ltd. is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and innovative work environment where employees can thrive in their careers. With a strong focus on professional growth, competitive benefits including a flexible work schedule and a pension plan, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, AALTO fosters a culture of collaboration and excellence. Located at the forefront of aerospace technology, employees have the unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking projects that redefine connectivity in the stratosphere.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Engineering Senior Manager
✨Join Aerospace Forums and Groups
Get involved in aerospace engineering forums and online communities, like the AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics). It's a great way to meet industry peers and stay updated on job openings and trends in the field.
✨Attend Industry Conferences
Keep an eye on upcoming aerospace conferences and events where you can network with professionals and showcase your interest. Events like the Farnborough International Airshow are not just about flying machines; they're a goldmine for connections and potential job leads.
✨Spotlight Your Projects
Make sure to highlight any hands-on experience or projects on your portfolio that showcase your skills in aerospace engineering. Employers love seeing practical applications of theoretical knowledge. Show us what you've got!
✨Apply Directly on Company Websites
When you find companies you want to work for, head straight to their careers page to apply for full-time roles, like the one with AALTO for a Design Engineering Senior Manager. This often puts your application in front of the right people faster than just waiting for job boards!
We think you need these skills to ace Design Engineering Senior Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for the aerospace engineering role at AALTO, make sure to highlight your technical expertise. Include specific software skills, like CAD tools or simulation software, and any relevant engineering projects you’ve worked on. This is your chance to really shine and showcase your engineering toolkit!
Don't Skip Your Projects!:Include a section in your CV dedicated to projects that demonstrate your problem-solving abilities in aerospace engineering. Whether it's a university project, an internship, or personal work, we love seeing how you’ve applied your skills in real-world scenarios. Make it clear what your role was and the impact of the project.
Show Your Passion in Your Cover Letter:At AALTO, we're not just looking for skills – we want to know why you’re passionate about aerospace engineering. Use your cover letter to express what excites you about aviation technology and your career goals. Share any relevant experiences or inspirations that have led you to apply for this full-time position.
Tailor Your CV for Aerospace:Make sure your CV is specifically tailored to aerospace engineering. Focus on your education, any certifications, and your work experience, ensuring you highlight aspects that relate directly to the role. Don’t forget to mention any internships or apprenticeships that have given you hands-on experience.
How to prepare for a job interview at AALTO
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Knowledge
Aerospace engineering is all about technical precision, so make sure you’re comfortable with key concepts like aerodynamics, propulsion, and materials science. We recommend going through any relevant coursework or projects you’ve worked on – these real-world examples can illustrate your understanding during the interview with AALTO.
✨Showcase Your Projects with Confidence
Make sure to have a portfolio ready that details any significant projects you've worked on, whether it’s a group assignment or a personal endeavour. Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced, the tools you used, like CAD software, and what you learned from the experience, as this will show your problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Technical Interviews
Expect some technical questions or even problem-solving exercises during your interview with AALTO. Get familiar with design challenges or theoretical problems related to aerospace; this can range from calculating lift and drag forces to materials selection under stress. Practising these can help you feel more at ease when faced with tricky questions.
✨Emphasise Your Passion and Teamwork Skills
As a full-time candidate, it’s crucial to convey your passion for aerospace engineering and your ability to work in teams. Highlight any group projects or internships you've done, focusing on how you collaborated with others to achieve a goal. Companies like AALTO love seeing candidates who not only have technical skills but also fit well within their team culture.
