Senior Avionic Systems Engineer - CNS

As a Senior Avionics Systems Engineer at Vertical Aerospace, you will lead the development of Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Maintenance (CNS/M) systems for the Valo eVTOL aircraft. You will provide technical leadership across the full lifecycle, from concept through integration, verification and certification, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and suppliers to deliver safety-critical avionics solutions.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the design, development, integration and certification of the aircraft Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Maintenance (CNS/M) systems.
• Lead technical work packages from concept through system definition, integration, verification and certification, ensuring delivery to quality, schedule and programme objectives.
• Develop and maintain system requirements, architecture descriptions, interface control documents (ICDs), verification plans, test procedures, reports and certification evidence.
• Capture, decompose and manage system requirements within Vertical's systems engineering environment, ensuring end-to-end traceability and compliance with certification requirements.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, electrical, flight test, safety and certification teams to deliver fully integrated avionics solutions.
• Manage technical interfaces with suppliers, reviewing designs, resolving technical issues and ensuring supplier deliverables meet programme requirements.
• Lead system integration activities, supporting laboratory, ground and flight testing, commissioning, troubleshooting and verification.
• Drive verification and validation activities, ensuring robust evidence is generated to demonstrate compliance with system and certification requirements.
• Support design reviews, technical governance and certification activities, providing clear technical recommendations and engineering judgement.
• Mentor and support engineers within the team, promoting engineering excellence, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering processes, tools and technologies, helping shape the future of avionics development at Vertical.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Avionics Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant experience developing and integrating avionics systems within a regulated aerospace or other safety-critical engineering environment.
• Strong knowledge of aircraft Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Maintenance (CNS/M) systems and their integration.
• Demonstrable experience leading the technical delivery of complex engineering work packages across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience supporting civil aircraft development and certification programmes.
• Working knowledge of aviation regulations and certification standards, including EASA and/or FAA frameworks.
• Experience applying systems engineering principles throughout the product lifecycle, including requirements management, interface definition, verification and validation.
• Familiarity with ARP4754A, ARP4761 and DO-160.
• Knowledge of avionics communication protocols, including ARINC 429, ARINC 664, CAN and RS-422.
• Experience using systems engineering, modelling and requirements management tools.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence technical decisions across multidisciplinary teams.

Nice to have

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or membership of a recognised professional institution such as the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) or the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
• Experience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools, ideally Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE.
• Experience using MATLAB System Composer or similar model-based systems engineering tools.
• Experience using Jama for requirements management and traceability.
• Knowledge of DO-178C and/or DO-254 development assurance processes.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML.
• Previous experience providing technical leadership or leading multidisciplinary engineering workstreams.
• Experience developing safety-critical aerospace systems through certification, ideally within eVTOL, advanced air mobility or commercial aircraft programmes.

Benefits

• 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