Senior Thermal Systems Engineer

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 Thermal Systems Engineer, you’ll be at the heart of optimising the thermal integration of our Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) into the Valo aircraft. Sitting within the Powertrain Squad, you’ll work across teams and suppliers to ensure the cooling system is lightweight, reliable, and high-performing under all flight conditions. Your focus will stretch from early concepts through to certification - balancing performance, installation constraints, and environmental robustness, while ensuring the system integrates seamlessly into our aircraft architecture.

What You’ll Do:

• Optimise the thermal integration of the EPU within the aircraft pylon, including heat exchanger sizing, geometry, and location.
• Design integration solutions that consider air supply during lift, cruise, and transition, and address the unique needs of front/rear and inboard/outboard propulsion systems.
• Manage the technical interface with our EPU and cooling system supplier, contributing to interface control documents and agreeing key characteristics such as pressure drop, mass flow, and inlet/outlet temperatures.
• Devise and execute a verification strategy to ensure the system performs within agreed characteristics and that cooling air provision meets requirements.
• Drive cooling system optimisation across performance, weight, drag, and robustness—including evaluating variable inlet geometries.
• Collaborate across disciplines including Flight Physics, Aerodynamics, Systems, and with the EPU supplier to reach global optima, not just local solutions.
• Support supplier development by joining design reviews, guiding design trades, and requesting evidence for performance predictions.
• Contribute to the thermal aspects of our in-house EPU system model, ensuring timely and detailed supplier data input at each development stage.
• Share your expertise across Vertical’s engineering community, supporting thermal design and test activities beyond propulsion as needed.

What You’ll Bring:

• A degree in Thermal, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent.
• At least 3 years of experience working on fast-paced, innovative projects in aerospace, propulsion, thermal systems, or related fields.
• Experience managing technical work across complex internal and external stakeholder environments with minimal supervision.
• A solid understanding of systems engineering practices, including requirements development, interface control, and verification planning.
• Strong analytical skills and a multidisciplinary mindset, using data and modelling to guide design decisions.
• A collaborative approach and a drive to reach the best overall solution—not just optimise your part.
• Familiarity with environmental qualification requirements such as icing, vibration, and dust/sand exposure.
• Alignment with our values: Safety, Openness, Courage, and Ingenuity.

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.