Technical Manager

Overview

Stirling Dynamics is recruiting for a Technical Manager for the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability group.

The successful candidate will join the senior management team and be responsible for the development and management of the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability, ensuring that the team has the right technical capabilities, tools and processes in place to meet current and future project requirements. The Technical Manager is the focal point for technical excellence, resource planning for the capability and continuous improvement within the domain.

The Structural and Fluid dynamics group provides detailed analysis for loads and flight physics projects covering:

• Flight loads
• Ground loads
• Aeroelastics
• Vibration
• Test Support

The group also contains the CFD capability, which carries out analysis for:

• External aerodynamic flow for support to new aircraft and aircraft modifications
• Internal aerodynamic flows
• Hydraulic flow for the support in the design of hydraulic equipment
• Thermal analysis
• Acoustics

The modelling toolsets currently used by the group include:

• Matlab
• Nastran
• Ansys Fluent

As Technical Manager you should have industrial experience in some of these areas and a good appreciation of the others. You will also be expected to balance hands‑on technical work and leadership with the management activities of capability development, resource planning and line management.

This role will be based in our Bristol office; employees may work from home part of the week as part of our flexible working commitment.

Due to security restrictions on some projects, the successful candidate must currently hold Security Check (SC) clearance or be eligible to obtain SC.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability, including day-to-day management and long-term strategy. This varied role covers the following areas:

• Provide technical leadership or support on projects where required
• Ensure appropriate technical support is available for customer interactions, either through team members or personal involvement
• Manage external suppliers within the technical area, including tendering and quality audits
• Facilitate the team's ability to deliver by ensuring the right people, tools and processes are in place
• Act as the focal point for tools within the technical area
• Evaluate current toolsets and identify needs for new tools or upgrades, developing business cases and leading implementation
• Ensure tools are used effectively to support delivery and innovation

• Allocate Structural and Fluid Dynamics team members in line with project requirements
• Define and manage annual budget for internal capability and process development in line with company objectives
• Support business development activities
• Contribute to project proposals and bids, including technical solutions and estimate of work
• Hold technical checks and approvals for the capability area in line with delegated authority
• Act as process owner for the technical domain, identifying missing or outdated processes and leading updates
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and push for process change where needed
• Own and manage bench tasks to support capability development and delivery readiness
• Collaborate with other Technical Managers to ensure cross-functional alignment and consistency

• Support capability team members to ensure continued development aligned with individual and company needs
• Facilitate recruitment of suitably qualified and skilled engineers to support company growth

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a related discipline
• Post-graduate qualification to a Master's degree or Doctorate in a relevant specialisation (desirable)
• Membership of an Engineering Body (desirable)
• Chartered Engineer Status (desirable)

The personal qualities of the jobholder are key to success in this role. The following characteristics and qualities are identified as essential:

• Able to engage and successfully lead engineering teams to achieve successful outcomes
• A diplomatic and professional approach to dealing with a range of people
• The ability to manage multiple, complex tasks
• Willingness to embrace change and implement new processes
• The confidence and experience to propose solutions to technical and organisational problems
• Embracing Stirling company values and promoting them among the team

• Significant industry experience in relevant sectors (ideally aerospace)
• Demonstrable experience in line management and managing engineering teams
• Demonstrable experience in technical leadership
• Experience in a customer‑facing role, from a technical and/or business development perspective

Competitive package – Grade 7‑8 (£65,000+ depending on experience).

We offer a range of benefits to recognise our employees’ efforts. Regular events are held throughout the year to mix social interaction with hard work.