Senior Engineer – Design & Development (Structures)

Salary: Up to £79,571 depending on experience, plus amazing benefits

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon - Fri 09:00 - 17:30

Location: The Hangar, LHR

Closing date: 17th July 2025

In a nutshell

At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it's our vision to become the most loved travel company. As we embark on this next exciting stage of our journey, we’re harnessing our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to challenge the status quo. We have one of the cleanest and greenest fleets in the sky, from Airbus A350s and A330neos to the Boeing 787s.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a Design and Development Engineer to join Virgin Atlantic’s (VAA) Engineering Department, focusing specifically on the provision of Structures technical & design expertise in support of the VAA Aircraft Fleet.

Day to day

Your daily responsibilities will include providing immediate structures specialist technical support in response to operational issues, incidents & AOG situations, defining and approving structural repair documentation to ensure safety and compliance while also minimising disruption to the operation.

Repair solutions are defined to meet the stringent requirements of VAA’s CAA Part 21 Design Approval procedures.

To minimise disruption to our busy Flying Schedule, you will be part of the team that provides 24 hours a day, 365 days a year structures technical support to the VAA Operation & Hangar, defining innovative repair solutions in a fast-paced operational environment.

Operating under CAA Part CAMO requirements, you will be responsible for the technical management of long-term aircraft fleet structural reliability to ensure all current and future safety, airworthiness and compliance requirements meet Regulatory Authority standards.

Review & investigate own fleet experience through maintenance feedback, delays and AOG incidents to prevent recurrence. Develop maintenance policies to ensure optimum safety & reliability whilst controlling & reducing costs.

Provide technical expertise and structural approval in support of aircraft acquisition and return & to other departments within VAA.

Guide and assist departments responsible for negotiating contracts for the repair and overhaul of major components.

Assess significant Air Safety Reports/Incidents, investigate and implement corrective action as necessary, in a controlled and timely manner.

About you

To succeed in this position, you will hold an engineering degree/HND in a field relevant to aviation or a CAA B1 Licence (or equivalent). Direct experience managing aircraft structural airworthiness and/or repair in an airline or manufacturer’s design / structure repair department is a key requirement of this role.

A detailed and analytical person, you will use your own initiative. Whilst in this role, conveying key business information will be prevalent, and therefore you will have strong verbal and written interpersonal skills.

Adaptable and flexible, with the skill to adapt and respond to changing work demands whilst working under demanding situations.

Ability to make clear and unambiguous decisions and communicate those to all levels in situations of acute pressure is vital to the success of this role. Does the above sound like you? If so, we would love to hear from you!