Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer

Methodfi; Bristol; On-site; GBP 80,000 - GBP 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering aerospace company in Bristol is seeking an Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer to enhance battery management systems for electric aircraft. You will design and develop critical components, ensuring compliance with aerospace standards. This role is ideal for an experienced engineer eager to shape the future of aviation in a fast-paced, innovative environment. Benefits include generous holiday allowance, company performance bonuses, and a supportive work culture.

Benefits

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Company performance-based bonus

Company pension scheme

Breakfast daily

Qualifications

• Strong mechanical design experience with complex electro-mechanical systems.
• In-depth understanding of structural and thermal considerations.
• Experience within regulated engineering environments is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop battery module components for the Valo Energy Storage System.
• Support design release activities during prototype builds.
• Collaborate with teams for aircraft-level integration.

Skills

Mechanical design experience

CAD and PLM capability

Understanding of regulatory environments

Education

Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace or related engineering discipline

Tools

Dassault 3DX

CATIA

Job description

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 an Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer within our Energy Storage team, you will play a key role in the design and development of battery modules and thermal management systems for our fully electric aircraft.

You’ll work at the intersection of mechanical design, thermal performance, manufacturing and aircraft integration, supporting both prototype builds and longer‑term certification‑ready designs.

A typical day might include developing detailed CAD designs in CATIA, supporting manufacturing engineering during prototype builds, collaborating with stress and quality teams, or working through complex integration challenges at module and aircraft level.

This role suits an engineer who enjoys ownership, thrives in fast‑paced environments, and wants to contribute directly to the development of a novel aerospace battery system.

What You’ll Do

• Design and develop battery module and thermal management system components for the Valo Energy Storage System.

• Support design release activities and manufacturing engineering during Gamma 2 prototype pack builds.

• Take ownership of a defined module or thermal system commodity, working closely with stress, manufacturing, quality and test teams.

• Contribute to aircraft‑level integration, ensuring mechanical, thermal and manufacturing requirements are met.

• Support the development and execution of material qualification programmes.

• Produce high‑quality CAD models, drawings and PLM data using Dassault 3DX / CATIA.

• Contribute to EBOM release and key programme milestones including Critical Design Reviews.

• Work cross‑functionally with internal teams and external suppliers to deliver robust, certifiable designs.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong mechanical design experience within complex electro‑mechanical systems (battery systems highly desirable).

• In‑depth understanding of structural, thermal, electrical and manufacturing considerations for HV battery packs, ideally with cylindrical cells.

• Experience working within regulated engineering environments; aerospace qualification and certification knowledge is highly desirable.

• Strong CAD and PLM capability, ideally using Dassault 3DX and CATIA.

• Experience contributing to or leading large engineering workstreams from concept through to release.

• Comfortable operating in fast‑paced, evolving engineering organisations.

• Solid understanding of DFMEA, GD&T and design best practice (ISO GPS / BS8888).

• Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace or a related engineering discipline.

Desirable:

• Exposure to materials and process qualification programmes.

• Experience in aerospace, automotive, motorsport or high‑volume electro‑mechanical products.

• Working towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

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.