Configuration Controls Manager

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 Configuration Controls Manager, you will own and run configuration control for all the Vertical Aerospace programmes, providing clear governance across engineering change, product configuration and data integrity. You'll operate as a hands‑on, autonomous leader in a lean set‑up – working closely with Engineering, PLM, Manufacturing, Airworthiness and Programme teams to keep decisions timely, traceable, and compliant. This will involve establishing and improving the strategy, processes and ways of working for configuration control, facilitating change review forums, and ensuring the aircraft bill of materials and associated configuration baselines are managed effectively. You'll also drive day‑to‑day use of the company toolset (e.g. 3DX alongside supporting tools such as Jira/Confluence), coach stakeholders on best practice, and ensure configuration status accounting, auditing and regulatory expectations are met as the organisation scales.

What You'll Do:

• Own and continuously improve the Configuration Management function, ensuring clear governance across aircraft programmes and stakeholders.
• Lead and facilitate Change Review Boards, driving timely, high‑quality decisions and clear actions.
• Operate autonomously in a fast‑paced environment, proactively driving change requests to conclusion in partnership with design, programme and manufacturing to ensure timely delivery of our aircraft programmes.
• Manage the aircraft engineering configuration baseline, including ownership and integrity of the overall aircraft bill of materials.
• Ensure configuration management activities support regulatory expectations and internal compliance, including auditing and status accounting.
• Use and support day‑to‑day ways of working through tools such as 3DX, Confluence and Jira, helping teams adopt consistent processes and data standards.
• Produce clear reporting, documentation and communications to provide visibility of change and configuration status.
• Support team growth as demand increases, with the potential to mentor and develop additional capability over time.

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience) in an Engineering or related discipline.
• Demonstrable knowledge of configuration management principles across the end‑to‑end engineering lifecycle.
• Familiarity with aerospace regulatory and quality expectations (e.g. EASA Part 21 Subpart J (21.A.239)) and awareness of standards such as ISO 10007.
• Proficiency with PLM tools (experience with 3DX is highly desirable) and the ability to maintain robust engineering data integrity.
• Experience coordinating and facilitating change control activities (e.g. running change boards, auditing, status accounting, and supporting stakeholder decision‑making).
• Confident communicator who can engage effectively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Airworthiness, PLM, and programme stakeholders.
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritise effectively, and drive work to completion in a fast‑paced development environment.
• Open to candidates from aerospace and other complex engineering environments (e.g. automotive) with transferable configuration/change management experience.

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:

• 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.