Head of Engineering Capability

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 The Head of Engineering Capability is accountable for establishing, governing, and continuously improving the engineering operating model across Vertical Aerospace. This role ensures that engineering frameworks, processes, competencies, tools, and performance management systems enable consistent, high-quality delivery aligned with regulatory requirements and the company’s Type Certification objectives for the Valo aircraft. The role combines operational excellence, capability development, performance governance, and strategic enablement. It is central to redefining aerospace engineering best practice within a Design Organisation Approval (DOA) environment. What You'll Do 1. Engineering Operating Model & Capability Development Engineering Frameworks & Standards - Define, implement, and continuously improve engineering processes, methodologies, governance structures, and best practices. - Ensure alignment with DOA requirements, certification standards, and internal quality management systems. - Drive standardisation and maturity of engineering tools and ways of working. Technology & Tooling Roadmap - Develop and own a strategic roadmap for engineering tools and digital enablement, including AI-driven solutions. - Oversee adoption, integration, and optimisation of new technologies to improve productivity, quality, and traceability. Skills, Competence & Authorisations - Lead engineering skills and competency assessments to ensure compliance with DOA scope. - Establish and maintain an engineering competency framework, including defined career pathways. - Oversee engineering authorisations and capability assurance processes. Training & Development - Own the Engineering Training Programme in partnership with the Engineering Leadership Team and People Team. - Ensure targeted capability uplift aligned to programme and certification needs. Resource & Partner Integration - Support engineering resource planning in collaboration with Programme Management. - Oversee effective integration and coordination of design subcontractors, suppliers, and partners to ensure capability consistency and governance compliance. Intellectual Property - Coordinate patent strategy, applications, and approvals in collaboration with the Legal & Affairs Team. 2. Engineering Performance Governance KPI Framework & Performance Management - Define and implement a robust engineering performance framework covering quality, productivity, cost, schedule adherence, and certification readiness. - Establish clear, measurable KPIs aligned to programme milestones and corporate objectives. Data & Reporting - Develop and maintain executive dashboards and reporting mechanisms. - Analyse performance data to identify trends, systemic risks, and improvement opportunities. - Provide regular, evidence-based performance insights to senior leadership. Continuous Improvement - Drive structured performance reviews. - Embed a culture of data-led decision making and continuous improvement across engineering. 3. Issue Resolution & Escalation Leadership - Act as a senior escalation point for complex cross-functional engineering challenges. - Facilitate structured problem-solving and decision-making processes. - Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) frameworks. - Ensure systemic lessons learned are institutionalised within engineering processes. 4. Strategic Leadership & Organisational Development - Contribute to the long-term strategic direction of the engineering organisation. - Ensure engineering capability evolves in line with company growth, certification timelines, and industrialisation requirements. - Lead or support audits, capability reviews, and regulatory engagements as required. - Mentor and coach engineering leaders to strengthen organisational maturity and leadership depth. Success Measures - Demonstrable improvement in engineering performance KPIs. - Sustained DOA compliance and capability coverage. - Improved predictability of engineering delivery and certification readiness. - Increased engineering productivity through process and tooling optimisation. - Successful implementation of capability development and training initiatives. - Effective resolution of cross-functional engineering issues with reduced recurrence. What You'll Bring Essential Skills and Experience: - Significant senior engineering leadership experience within aerospace or a highly regulated industry. - Proven experience operating within a DOA or equivalent certification framework. - Demonstrated success in building and maturing engineering operating models. - Experience implementing performance management systems and continuous improvement initiatives. - Exposure to digital transformation and advanced engineering tools (including AI-enabled solutions). Competencies - Strong systems-thinking and process governance capability. - High analytical rigour and data-driven decision-making. - Ability to influence at executive and cross-functional level. - Strong facilitation and structured problem-solving skills. - Strategic mindset with operational execution discipline. 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.