About us
Airborne Engineering (AEL) is a small company specialising in rocket engine
testing for the commercial space sector. We are proud to operate one of the
only commercial rocket engine test facilities in Europe, where our constantly
expanding capabilities and customer base enables us to take on a wide variety
of interesting and exciting projects at the cutting edge of aerospace research.
At our Westcott facility near Aylesbury and Bicester we have two
state-of-the-art rocket test cells, with a variety of infrastructure including
propellant supply systems and instrumentation, supported by our on-site
mechanical workshop and offices. We take pride in achieving a high technical
output from our small team of engineers, technicians and support staff, whilst
maintaining a flexible and relaxed working environment and providing
opportunities for learning and creative thinking.
The role
AEL are about to begin a major aerospace project that will require a dedicated project
manager. This person will be responsible for interfacing with the customer,
maintaining schedules and budgets, interfacing with suppliers, allocating internal resources based on current priorities and producing documentation. It is expected that 75% of the role will be spent on this specific project, with the remaining 25% spent on other AEL projects to prevent resource clashes.
The role will require supporting a small team of specialist engineers and technicians
on a complex engineering project. The project manager will need to have the necessary inter-personal skills to help the team deliver this project, whilst firmly maintaining project focus and navigating the inevitable schedule changes that will occur in an R&D programme. The ideal candidate will therefore be extremely organised and self-motivated, and have the ability to remain calm under pressure.
Essential requirements
We expect candidates will have experience with:
- Managing engineering R&D projects (aerospace/mechanical preferred) with at least 3 years experience.
- An engineering background (aerospace/mechanical preferred)
- Interfacing with customers: technical reporting and presentation.
- Interfacing with suppliers and quality control (non-conformance procedures, NDAs etc.)
- Maintaining of budgets and schedules (Gantt charts)
- Good communication and inter-personal skills; the ability to get the best out of individuals whilst maintaining a positive, collaborative and non-combative team atmosphere.
- Proficiency with typical project management tools (e.g. Microsoft Project, ProjectLibre)
- Excellent spoken and written English
- Have or can obtain the right to work in the UK
Desirable experience
The ideal candidate will additionally have experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Project management of European Space Agency funded programmes
- Contract negotiation
- Rocket propulsion programmes
- Procurement of engineering parts and materials
- Hands-on skills with basic mechanical tools, for times when additional help is required for assembly/testing
- Mechanical design experience
Role details
- Contract for two years with potential option to become a permanent post
- Competitive salary with generous annual leave policy.
- A full time position is anticipated. However, for the right candidate AEL will consider a 4-day week, or other flexible working arrangement (e.g. 4 days work spread over 5 days) with some modification to the job specification and salary.
- On-site working is preferred, but partially remote would be considered (maximum two days per week)
- Company paid private medical insurance scheme
- Please note that our site at Westcott Venture Park has infrequent public transport links so personal transport is recommended.
How to apply
- Please email a short CV and a cover letter with details of any interesting and related projects you've worked on to jobs@ael.co.uk
- Please indicate what part of group projects you were responsible for, and include photos and as much technical detail as you like.
- Please let us know whether you have the right to work in the UK.
