Senior Air Vehicle Design Engineer

Senior Air Vehicle Design Engineer

Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK

Salary: £50,000 – £60,000

Position: Full-time

Join the forefront of UAV innovation.

This is your chance to work at the cutting edge of manned and unmanned aircraft design, as part of a multi-disciplinary, passionate, and forward-thinking team. With significant new investment driving rapid growth, we are looking for a Senior Air Vehicle Design Engineer to help shape the next generation of UAV platforms and systems.

From concept to flight, you’ll be hands-on in delivering projects across aerodynamics, structures, systems integration, and more. If you want to work on truly innovative aircraft in a supportive, collaborative environment, this role puts you right at the heart of the UK’s UAS development.

Why Join Us?

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Holiday buy/sell scheme (up to 5 days)
• Company pension
• Share Incentive Plan (company contributed)
• Life assurance (6× salary) & income protection (75% salary)
• Private health & dental cover
• Green Car Scheme
• Enhanced maternity & paternity
• Professional membership reimbursement
• Paid volunteering day each year
• Ongoing training & development
• Work in beautiful rural Wiltshire, close to historic Salisbury

The Role

Reporting to the Air Vehicle Design Manager, you will:

• Lead or act as Project Engineer on UAV design/modification programmes.
• Capture requirements and develop solutions to meet customer needs.
• Design across aerodynamics, structures, wiring, powerplant, and vehicle systems.
• Ensure designs are optimised for manufacture and assembly.
• Manage supplier deliverables to time, cost, and quality.
• Act as a technical liaison with customers throughout the lifecycle.
• Lead and execute sub-system and vehicle-level testing.
• Maintain configuration control and documentation.
• Support major design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and compliance activities.

What You’ll Bring

Essential

• Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks or similar).
• First-principles approach to mechanical systems design.
• Experience in design for manufacture & assembly.
• Strong technical report writing and presentation skills.

Desirable

• Full lifecycle aerospace systems engineering experience.
• Knowledge of composites, rapid prototyping, and stress analysis.
• Experience with UAV builds, electrical systems, and aerodynamic tools.
• Hands-on test and integration experience.

About You

• British Citizen or existing right to work in the UK (5+ years residency).
• Able to work on-site in Chilmark, Salisbury.
• Willing to travel nationally and internationally.
• Eligible for security clearance.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and passionate about aerospace innovation.

Ready to design the future of flight?

Apply now and become part of a growing organisation that values teamwork, creativity, and technical excellence — and puts you at the heart of next-generation UAV development.

If you like, I can also make this into a short, high-impact job board or LinkedIn post so it grabs attention in a few seconds. That version would be much more compact and visually punchy. Would you like me to prepare that next?