Lead Stress Engineer

Orbex Space
Forres
9 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Lead Firmware Engineer

Lead Developer

Lead UAV Engineer

Children's Home Manager

Senior Video Producer

Sales Manager

Orbex is looking for a Lead Stress Engineer to join our flight structures team in the development of Orbex Prime.

This is a technical leadership position for the structural analysis, Failure mode analysis and to support testing.

Orbex   Orbex is a leading micro-launch company with our Prime and Proxima launch vehicles being prepared to launch from Scotland.

We are well placed to be one of the first operational micro-launch companies in Europe with over £133m of project financing secured, a number of customers signed up, launch licence application submitted , and backing from organisations including UKSA and ESA.

    We are a rapidly growing company with staff located between our production and test facilities in Forres, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Working on cutting edge advances in rocket fuel technology, Prime’s carbon footprint is up to 96% lower than comparable vehicles, leading to innovations in propulsion and tank structures.

A state-of-the-art re-flight system means we can recover and reuse our technology, and innovations in separation mechanisms mean we leave no debris on orbit.

    Having developed in-house production capability, we can 3D print complex engines, produce full-scale carbon composite fuel tanks, and have avionics and software testing labs in both Scotland and Denmark .     Based in Forres , you will be right in the heart of this fast-paced cutting-edge company, gaining a unique insight into what it takes to build a new launch vehicle for a buoyant commercial market.   Orbex is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is working towards a more diverse workforce in the aerospace industry.   The Position   Role and Responsibilities: Perform, validate and document structural analysis using hand calculations and FEA for composite and metallic components and assemblies.

Work with the design team to iterate concepts using appropriate sizing and optimisation methods to enable a ‘design by analysis’ approach.

Working from high level requirements define analysis and test plans.

Provide practical support to hardware development and testing as required.

  Required Qualifications and Experience: Educated to degree level or higher in an Aerospace/Mechanical engineering or equivalent Demonstrable industry experience in the analysis of mass efficient structural parts for high performance applications typified byspace, aerospace, defence and motorsport.  Proficient in one or more industry standard FEA packages (preferably FEMAP, Nastran, Hypermesh, Optistruct) Ability to use CAD system with an emphasis geometry preparation for analysis.

Proactive and strong team player with excellent communication skills Experience in Static Testing and Failure mode Analysis  Adaptable and able to work under pressure across multiple concurrent workstreams   Desirable Qualifications and Experience: Experience of composite structural analysis for space/aerospace applications including highly loaded mechanical and adhesively bonded joints.

Working knowledge of linear, non-linear, thermo-elastic, buckling, modal, sinusoidal and random vibration analysis methodologies as applicable to aerospace applications.

Experience designing and/or analysing COPVs or composite pressure structures.

Experience in design, search and optimisation workflows for structural development.

Familiarity with industry standards and references (e.g.

MIL-HDBK-5/17, ECSS-E-HB-32, NASA-STD-5001, GSFC-STD-7000) Familiarity with standard aerospace structural methods such as ESDU, Bruhn, Nui etc.

Experience in materials and structures test, characterisation and allowable development.

Location – Forres   Our roles need to be on-site in Scotland due to the nature of the position, export controls and security.

This role is based in Forres at Orbex’s headquarters.

  Orbex Forres is located at the foot of the Scottish Highlands, near Inverness.

It's close to the spectacular coastline, wild beaches, and amazing wildlife of the Moray Firth, as well as being a short distance from the world-famous Loch Ness, and Aviemore ski resort.

  If you enjoy adventurous outdoor pursuits in extraordinary natural environments, the coast and highlands around Forres offer an ideal location.   Mountaineering, rock climbing, abseiling, hiking, mountain biking, cycling, camping, sailing, surfing, motorbiking, and skiing are all within easy reach of our main UK factory, and many members of our team participate in adventure sports in the vast, beautiful settings of the Highlands.   If you enjoy drone flying, wildlife or landscape photography, some of the most spectacular vistas in the world are directly at your doorstep.   Security   You must be a UK or European citizen or from a country that is a signatory to the MTCR convention.

You may be required to undergo a UK BPSS check which includes a criminal record check.    Benefits – UK    Salary of £48-65k depending on experience     34 days paid holiday including bank and public holidays   NEST workplace pension   Cycle to Work scheme   Employee Assistance Programme , including: mortgage advice, health and wellbeing apps.

  Group Life Insurance , x4 annual salary.   Independent supporting services including: mortgage advice and health and wellbeing apps   Orbex are able to sponsor visas for you and your family and provide comprehensive relocation assistance , this includes 1 month of accommodation in the local area paid for by the company, a relocation allowance and full support through the visa application process.    Powered by JazzHR

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

UAV Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)

UAVs (drones) have moved far beyond hobby flying. In the UK, they are now used every day for surveying, infrastructure inspection, construction progress, environmental monitoring, emergency response, film production, agriculture, offshore work & security. That growth has created a wide range of UAV job opportunities — and many of the most realistic routes into the sector are well suited to career switchers in their 30s, 40s & 50s. This article gives you a straight UK reality check on UAV careers: what roles genuinely exist, what training you really need, how long it takes to become employable, where the money is, what employers actually look for & whether age matters (usually far less than people assume).

How to Write a UAV or Drone Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are now used across a wide range of UK industries, including defence, aerospace, surveying, agriculture, energy, emergency services, infrastructure inspection and logistics. As the sector grows, so does demand for skilled UAV professionals — from pilots and engineers to software developers, systems specialists and compliance experts. Yet many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. UAV job adverts often receive either very few applications or a high volume of unsuitable ones. Experienced UAV professionals, meanwhile, regularly ignore adverts that feel vague, unrealistic or disconnected from real operational and regulatory requirements. In most cases, the problem is not a lack of talent — it is the clarity and quality of the job advert. UAV professionals are practical, safety-conscious and detail-oriented. A poorly written job ad signals weak understanding of aviation, regulation or operational reality. A clear, well-written one signals credibility, professionalism and long-term intent. This guide explains how to write a UAV job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a serious employer in the UAV sector.

Maths for UAV Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

If you’re aiming for UAV jobs in the UK (drone pilot, UAV engineer, autonomy developer, payload specialist, flight test, survey, inspection, defence contractor roles) it’s easy to feel like you need “all the maths”. You don’t. Most real-world UAV roles repeatedly use a small set of maths topics: Linear algebra for frames, vectors & transforms Probability for sensor noise, estimation & decision confidence Complex numbers for signals, filters, RF links & control frequency response Basic optimisation for trajectory planning, tuning & trade-offs This article explains the only topics you actually need, how to learn them quickly, plus a 6-week plan & practical projects you can publish to prove the skills.