Senior System V&V Engineer in Bristol

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 System V&V Engineer – EPU, you will join the Powertrain Squad, working within the Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) team. The team is responsible for requirements specification and validation, aircraft integration design, and system verification of the Electric Propulsion Unit, comprising the electric motor, power electronics and control, and associated thermal management systems. The EPU is not only responsible for providing thrust but is also a safety-critical aircraft effector, with complex interfaces to the flight control system, powertrain architecture, aircraft structure, and propellers. The system is developed by a key supplier and certified against EASA SC E-19 in the context of the VX4 aircraft platform. In this role, you will take ownership of EPU verification activities under Vertical Aerospace responsibility, working closely with internal engineering teams, airworthiness, suppliers, and external test partners to deliver a robust, coordinated, and certifiable verification programme. A typical day could involve defining verification strategies, reviewing requirements for verifiability, coordinating system-level test activities, or working with suppliers and test teams to ensure certification evidence is delivered to the required standard.

What You’ll Do

• Establish and maintain a structured EPU Verification Plan in coordination with the EPU supplier (L3) and aircraft-level (L1) and subsystem-level (L2) verification teams.
• Define and deliver a clear in-house test capability strategy covering all relevant EPU aspects, with short- and mid-term implementation plans on track.
• Review system requirements for verifiability and define and agree Means of Compliance.
• Establish and manage system verification and test requirements throughout the full product lifecycle.
• Define system test activities, test assets, and instrumentation needs to enable efficient and predictable execution.
• Take ownership of EPU and EPU integration test activities, coordinating internal test teams and external test houses.
• Deliver verification documentation (requirements databases, V&V plans, test procedures, and test reports) on time and to certification quality.
• Perform or coordinate the acquisition, storage, analysis, and interpretation of test and simulation data, including support to root cause investigations.
• Lead the development and commissioning of required internal and external test facilities, including test setups, instrumentation, control, data acquisition, fixtures, and jigs.
• Provide hands-on support to testing, data acquisition, and telemetry activities where required.

What You’ll Bring

• A degree in Electrical, Electronic, Systems, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• At least 3 years’ experience in certification or verification of safety-critical systems to aerospace standards such as ARP4754, ARP4761, DO-178C, DO-254, and DO-160, including structured planning of verification activities.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles.
• Experience with requirements management tools such as DOORS or JAMA.
• Experience defining system test activities and test assets, and selecting test facilities in support of requirements V&V across organisational interfaces.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, comfortable engaging at all levels within the business and externally with suppliers, partners, and regulatory bodies.
• Excellent team-working skills and a collaborative approach.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage both high-level planning and detailed technical tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable

• Experience in the design and verification of electric propulsion systems or other complex electrical systems for aerospace applications.
• Experience across the full product development lifecycle, from concept through certification, production, and in-service.
• Experience operating test facilities for development or qualification testing of aerospace products.
• Experience with HIL testing.
• Familiarity with data acquisition systems such as Speedgoat or National Instruments.
• Experience with communication networks such as CAN or Ethernet.
• Experience working safely in environments with hazardous voltages, particularly high-voltage DC systems.

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 service (Help@Hand)
• Company performance based bonus - rewarding company and individual performance
• Company Share Scheme - open to every Vertical employee
• Company Pension Scheme - 5% and we match it
• Breakfast on us, every day

We may just be the hardest job you've ever had, but we're confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.

Disclaimer Statement We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.