Our mission At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The VX4, 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 of having the VX4 in service by 2030. What to expect As a Senior Vehicle Systems Manager, you will join a growing team of passionate individuals whose primary focus is to take full ownership of systems engineering delivery at the aircraft level. This leadership role is pivotal to the successful integration, traceability, and verification of aircraft systems through the full development lifecycle. A typical day could range from coordinating a cross-functional systems team to maintaining aircraft level oversight, to ensuring key engineering decisions are made and executed with confidence. This is not a hands-off management role—technical credibility and leadership by example are vital. The ability to quickly figure things out and make decisions at pace as well as drive your team's delivery will all factor into this role's impact and your success. What you'll do You will be responsible for owning the full systems engineering lifecycle across the aircraft, including architecture, requirements, V&V, and compliance demonstration. You will lead and develop a team of systems engineers, driving them to deliver high-quality outputs on time, within budget, and to spec. You will capture, decompose, and trace Aircraft requirements; interpret and validate external requirements, including regulatory ones. You will be planning and executing verification and validation activities to ensure all systems meet design and performance requirements. You will be responsible for creating and maintaining an Aircraft systems engineering plan that integrates with the broader aircraft development schedule. You will design system architecture with a focus on performance, complexity, and cost trade-offs, providing solid foundation for subsequent development phases through integrated system models. What you'll bring Bachelor's Degree in a relevant engineering discipline. Proven leadership experience in a systems engineering context (preferably aircraft-level or similar complex product). Strong understanding of aircraft systems and integration challenges. Skills in requirements management, architecture, and verification planning. Comfort working with certification frameworks such as ARP4754B and SC VTOL. Track record of successfully guiding teams to achieve ambitious technical objectives and meet tight schedules. Familiarity with requirement management tools, such as DOORS, Jama or Polarion. Understanding of systems engineering principles, including both sides of the 'V' and knowledge of ARP4754B. Knowledge of aerospace certifying standards, specifically SC VTOL. 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 (HelpHand) 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.