JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Senior Stress Engineer
Working Pattern: Full time; hybrid (on average three days per week on site)
Working location: Bristol (Filton) / Hybrid

Help shape the next generation of Defence propulsion by leading complex mechanical integrity work across NPI and mature programmes. We will align you at interview to Stress, Critical Parts Lifing or SSD based on your expertise and interests. You’ll own critical analyses, guide design decisions, mentor juniors and interface with senior stakeholders, customers and authorities to assure safety, reliability and lifecycle value.

• Stress – set analysis strategies across proof/ultimate, LCF/HCF, creep and multi-physics interactions (vibration, thermal, contact), drive design optimisation and champion modelling best practice from concept to in-service/repair/disposal.
• Critical Parts Lifing – define and maintain lifing methodologies for safety-critical hardware, blending fracture mechanics, probabilistic/statistical approaches and field data; partner across design/manufacture/maintenance and with customers on usage profiles.
• SSD – lead whole-engine modelling and decision-making on static/dynamic behaviour (rotordynamics, vibration/balance) and extreme events (e.g., FBO); mature WEMM fidelity, correlate test data to predictions and steer system-level trade-offs.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

With this attractive opportunity you will get a chance to:

• Lead mechanical integrity strategies and reviews; set analysis plans and make balanced, evidence-based recommendations.
• Oversee/high-end analyses and tests (rig/engine), ensuring robust model validation and test correlation; sign-off where delegated.
• Develop/improve methods, FE models and toolchains (e.g., ANSYS, ABAQUS, MSC Nastran; WEMM in SSD), including automation and design-space/optimisation workflows.
• Mentor junior engineers and coordinate multi-discipline delivery to cost/schedule/quality; engage with customers, authorities and certification.

To be successful in this role you will need to:

• Bring significant experience in mechanical integrity within aero/propulsion or equivalent high-integrity domain (typically 5+ years), with mastery in either Stress, Lifing or SSD.
• Demonstrate advanced expertise in stress/FEA (static/dynamic), fracture & fatigue, or whole-engine dynamics (rotordynamics/vibration/FBO) and test correlation.
• Show strong materials and fracture mechanics understanding, statistics/probabilistics for lifing, and sound systems engineering judgement.
• Communicate complex analyses clearly to senior stakeholders/customers/regulators; influence design and programme decisions