Senior Loads and Aeroelasticity Engineer

ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, flying the world's largest hydrogen-electric aircraft. Our focus is the design and commercialization of hydrogen-powered aviation solutions to address a variety of markets; initially targeting short-haul, sub-regional commercial flights up to 500 miles.

To date, ZeroAvia has secured the UK CAA and FAA experimental permit to fly for its 19-seater Dornier 228. We successfully flew the Dornier in January 2022 and we are now gearing up for commercial production. Our achievements to date have been rewarded with significant investment and being invited by UK Prime Minister to be a member of the UK Jet Zero Council.

ZeroAvia’s powertrain development focuses on integrating hydrogen storage tanks, fuel cell systems, and electric motors, delivering a solution that will not only be without carbon emissions but also cheaper to operate.

Role

Integrating a novel propulsion system within existing aircraft designs is an important opportunity in decarbonising aviation. To meet this challenge, ZeroAvia requires an ambitious and capable senior loads engineer to help deliver effective solutions for modifying and re-certifying aircraft.

The successful candidate will be involved in assessing the impact on loads and aeroelasticity of novel aircraft designs feeding into the conceptual design selection process. The engineer will be responsible for all aspects of aircraft structural dynamics, including computational FEA/CFD model build and verification, prediction of flutter and computation of local and global ground and flight loads and load cases. The engineer will have the opportunity to heavily influence how the work will be conducted and the approach to certification.

Strong experience with computational methods (FEA, CFD) is essential, as well as hand calculations. Experience in aircraft preliminary design and CS-23/25 or 14 CFR Part 23/25 certified aircraft programs is essential. Knowledge of FAA, EASA and/or CAA regulatory structures, rules, and regulations is a benefit.

• Act as the focal point for aircraft loads and aeroelasticity within the Aircraft Integration team.
• Derive aircraft loads and compile load cases in accordance with certification requirements.
• Write Statements of Work for large bodies of work, reviewing and accepting the outputs.
• Support the certification team to make sure that aircraft loads are applied and analysed correctly.
• Participate in design reviews.
• Open to learning and participating in other areas of aircraft engineering design and analysis as required.
• Work closely with engineers and manufacturing personnel to ensure that all aspects of the structural design are understood.
• Provide expertise to review internal and subcontractor design deliverables.
• Act as CVE.

Experience and qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher in an appropriate discipline and commensurate depth of related technical experience.

Essential Requirements

• Aircraft flight and ground load generation and computation experience.
• Strong understanding of aircraft structural dynamics, loads and aeroelasticity
• Expertise in FEA and CFD.
• Knowledge of CS-23/25 and/or 14 CFR Part 23/25.
• Experience with verification of computational/analytical models using wind tunnel and/or flight testing.
• Ability to derive loads from first principles.
• Programming experience in Python / Matlab or similar
• Knowledge of Solidworks or similar.
• Commensurate depth of related Aerospace industry experience.
• Able to assimilate technology and technical details quickly and communicate requirements clearly to ZeroAvia colleagues and customers alike.
• Excellent level of spoken and written English (additional languages a plus).
• Able to work on own initiative as well as part of a small team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, as well as good written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with developing tools and methodology to support load derivation, validation and methodology.

Beneficial Requirements

• Experience in the creation of complex aerospace 3D CAD and mechanical engineering drawings.
• Experience in aeroelastic analysis including flutter and whirl flutter.
• Experience in analysis and reporting compilation to support certification.
• Full aircraft design life-cycle experience.
• Previously acted as CVE.

Diversity and inclusion

ZeroAvia is an equal opportunity employer and as a young company in the aviation industry, we value diversity and need people of different backgrounds that bring a plethora of skills, perspectives, and mindsets to the table that can spur originality, imagination, and creativity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.