Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer (Thermal Runaway)

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 2029 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers. WHAT TO EXPECT As an Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer (Thermal Runaway), you will join our Energy Storage team, working on one of the most critical safety challenges in electric aviation: thermal runaway prevention, mitigation and containment. You will play a key role in progressing thermal runaway testing, analysing test data, and translating insights into robust mechanical designs, simulations and qualification strategies. This role sits at the heart of our battery safety and certification journey. A typical day could involve supporting live thermal runaway tests, analysing results to inform next-stage design or simulation, collaborating with stress and manufacturing teams, or developing qualification strategies for novel materials and components. This role is well suited to an engineer who enjoys technically complex problems, thrives in fast-paced development environments, and wants to own meaningful safety-critical hardware. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Support and progress thermal runaway testing activities at cell, module and pack level - Analyse thermal runaway test data to guide simulation, design, manufacturing and future test activity - Develop and own mechanical designs and mitigation concepts related to thermal runaway containment - Work closely with stress, manufacturing, quality and test teams to deliver compliant, certifiable designs - Support the definition of verification and qualification strategies, balancing test coverage with certification requirements - Contribute to the qualification of novel materials and processes for battery safety applications - Own at least one thermal runaway–related commodity through design, test and Critical Design Review - Produce high-quality CAD, drawings and PLM data using Dassault 3DX / CATIA - Support key Energy Storage milestones including Battery CDR (Q3 2026) WHAT YOU’LL BRING - Mechanical design experience within complex electro-mechanical systems (battery systems highly desirable) - Understanding of thermal runaway prevention, mitigation and/or containment methods (a strong differentiator, not a prerequisite) - Experience with thermal runaway testing and/or simulation at cell, module or pack level is highly desirable - Strong understanding of structural, thermal, electrical and manufacturing considerations for HV battery packs, ideally with cylindrical cells - Knowledge of regulated engineering environments; aerospace qualification and certification experience is advantageous - Strong CAD and PLM capability, ideally using Dassault 3DX and CATIA - Experience working in fast-paced engineering teams with evolving processes - Familiarity with DFMEA, GD&T and engineering best practice (ISO GPS / BS8888) - Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace or a related engineering discipline DESIRABLE: - Experience contributing to qualification or certification test programmes - Exposure to novel materials or high-rate automated manufacturing processes - Experience in aerospace, automotive, motorsport, defence or energy storage - Working towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) status #LI-AH1 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.