Structural Design Lead

Job Description:

Your impact

Are you an experienced professional engineer with a passion for delivering technical excellence?

Working as Structural Design Lead within our Helicopter Division, you will act as a role model within the business to promote an ownership and responsibility culture. You will have the pride of seeing your structural designs on our product ranges, grow from a 3D concept through to installation and flight and play a pivotal part in the continued growth in our capability for the future.

As part of the Structures Team you will be responsible for developing structural design solutions in collaboration with other engineering departments and key stakeholders, for our wide product range encompassing conventional helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air systems.

Our Structures team supports both the UK and Italian geographies so although based in the UK there is the opportunity to work on our full product range.

For the awareness of internal candidates: this is a JFF level 6 role.

This position requires a minimum 3 days per week on site.

• Providing design / development / supportability of product and or processes to ensure successful delivery of activities for aircraft contract delivery and in service support
• Making recommendations to improve policies and processes within the engineering frameworks
• Approving and owning work package plans associated with the allocation and deployment of team members and workload with suitable milestones to enable effective engineering and product reporting
• Risk Analysis and Budget management
• Directing the team on technical specialism, domain expertise, engineering process and tool use
• Resolving of complex multidisciplinary issues raised from within and outside of engineering
• Promoting a culture of best practice
• Inspire, promote and communicate safe behaviours to ensure that team members understand and adhere to their safety responsibilities

• Apprenticeship/HNC/HND/First degree level as a minimum or equivalent level of experience in aerospace engineering.
• HND or equivalent level of knowledge of aircraft design principles, assembly techniques, manufacturing processes, basic mechanics and materials science.
• Expert level of knowledge of sheet metal fabrication design.
• Expert level of knowledge of machining design.
• Expert level of knowledge of composites design.
• Expert level of knowledge of aerospace fasteners & types of structural joints.
• Experienced level of knowledge of aircraft design regulations eg MAA, EASA or FAA.
• Experienced level of knowledge of types of aircraft loading, typical structural analysis failure criteria, material allowables, finite element analysis process, interpretation of stress plots, load paths, design features that generate peak stresses, design failure mitigation techniques and of design considerations for fatigue & damage tolerance in rotorcraft structures.
• Excellent communication skills at all levels

• Ability to use the CATIA V5 design package and ENOVIA VPM part management system to derive aircraft design context and produce structural designs and associated drawings to issue standard OR equivalent systems.
• The ability to use the MS Office suite.
• Eligibility for registration as an Incorporated or Chartered Engineer with the engineering Council. Membership of a relevant engineering institution.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career…