Junior Aircraft Manufacturing 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.

Please note we are only able to consider British Nationals, or individuals who have indefinite right to work in the UK. We are unable to consider anyone who will require sponsorship once their graduate visa expires.

As a Graduate Aircraft Manufacturing Engineer, you’ll join our Manufacturing Engineering team at our Kemble Flight Test Centre.

This is not a “shadow and observe” graduate role.

You’ll be embedded in live build activity, helping design and optimise the pre-production aircraft line before full-rate manufacturing begins.

You’ll see, first-hand, how factory design decisions impact:

• Safety
• Quality
• Build efficiency
• Cycle time

You’ll contribute to the industrialisation of one of the most advanced aircraft programmes in development today.

From day one, you’ll support the design and optimisation of our aircraft production system by:

• Assisting in production line layout design and optimisation
• Creating and updating factory layouts using CAD tools
• Supporting tooling definition, installation and validation
• Developing material flow and logistics solutions
• Analysing build processes to identify bottlenecks
• Supporting cycle time and efficiency improvements
• Coordinating readiness activities for key aircraft build milestones
• Contributing to facilities and small capital improvement projects

This is hands‑on manufacturing engineering in a live aerospace environment — not theory, not simulation, not coursework.

Within your first year, you’ll build experience in:

• Aircraft industrialisation and production system design
• Facilities planning and tooling integration
• Lean and structured problem‑solving in aerospace
• Cross‑functional collaboration with operations, supply chain and quality
• Real‑world build challenges in a regulated industry

You’ll gain exposure many engineers don’t see until much later in their careers.

We’re looking for graduates who want responsibility early and are motivated by tangible impact.

You should have:

• This role is primarily aimed at students graduating in Summer 2026, however, we will also consider 2025 graduates
  
  A degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain or related discipline
• Strong analytical and structured problem‑solving ability
• Interest in production system design and industrialisation
• Confidence working on‑site in a fast‑paced build environment
• A collaborative mindset and clear communication skills
• Curiosity, resilience and drive

Experience with CAD tools (CATIA beneficial) is helpful but not essential.

We care more about mindset and potential than polish.

At Vertical Aerospace, you’ll:

• Work on one of the most critical technologies enabling zero‑emissions flight
• Gain exposure across the full product lifecycle — concept through industrialisation
• Receive structured development and mentorship
• Experience certification‑driven manufacturing in aerospace
• Be part of a scaling engineering team shaping the future of aviation

If you want to help build the systems that power electric flight — this is your opportunity.