Flight Controls 2026 Summer Internship - FC Laws

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.

Make your mark on the future of flight - this summer

From June to August, we’re offering a 3-month internship within our Flight Control Laws team - where the physics of flight meets cutting-edge control software. You’ll be directly involved in developing and validating the control laws that govern how the Valo aircraft responds in flight. This isn’t just an observational role - you’ll get hands-on with model-based design, simulation, and data analysis from the very start.

You’ll collaborate with systems, software, and supplier teams to assess and refine how the aircraft behaves across its flight envelope. Throughout the internship, you’ll be supported with mentorship, feedback, and the chance to learn from engineers solving some of the most complex problems in eVTOL development.

If you’re passionate about flight dynamics, control theory, and using code to shape aircraft behaviour, this is the internship for you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Support the design and simulation of flight control laws
• Maintain and improve dynamic system models used in control development
• Analyse test and simulation data to assess control performance
• Help validate and verify control law functionality
• Contribute to automation of testing and data workflows
• Work with suppliers to understand system interfaces
• Document findings and design decisions clearly
  
  

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for students who are analytical, hands-on, and eager to understand how theory becomes reality in the air.

You Should Be

• Studying aerospace, control, or a related engineering discipline
• Confident in control theory and system dynamics
• Experienced with MATLAB/Simulink for modelling or analysis
• Familiar with Python or other data tools
• Curious about aircraft behaviour and real-world flight performance
• Detail-oriented, collaborative, and keen to learn quickly
  
  

If you don’t meet every single requirement — that’s okay. We value curiosity, initiative, and a drive to grow.

What happens next?

We’re excited to learn more about you! Here's how our recruitment process works:

Apply: Submit your CV along with a brief cover letter (at the top of your CV) addressing these three questions:

• What excites you about Vertical Aerospace?
• What are you hoping to gain from an internship with us?
• How do you stay organised when working on time-critical projects? (max 200 words)
  
  

First Stage: Successful applicants will be asked to complete a short take-home written technical exercise

Second Stage: We'll invite you to a friendly 20-minute video call with one of our Talent Partners to get to know you better.

Final Stage: Ideally, our hiring manager would love to meet you face-to-face at our Camwal Court Bristol office . If that's not possible, we're happy to arrange a remote Teams interview instead.

We’re aiming to complete all stages by end of February so we can extend offers shortly afterwards. We'll keep you informed at every step of the journey.

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.