Hybrid M&P Structures Engineer

at Hypersonica

• Job title: M&P Structures Engineer
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, London, United Kingdom

About the role

• Mechanical Engineer leading structural design and solving thermo-mechanical challenges for hypersonic vehicles at Hypersonica. Contributing to Europe's defence technology on critical projects.

Responsibilities

• Own and solve thermo‑mechanical challenges for hypersonic missiles and aerospace vehicles operating in extreme flight environments.
• Lead structural design and advanced analysis of critical vehicle components exposed to extreme aerodynamic loads, thermal gradients, and dynamic stresses.
• Develop and maintain high‑fidelity simulation models (FEA and multi‑physics) to predict structural, thermal, and material behaviour under operational conditions.
• Conduct detailed stress, fatigue, creep, fracture, and thermal stress analysis on novel composites, superalloys, ceramics, and refractory materials.
• Define and shape mechanical system architectures, ensuring robust integration between propulsion systems, airframe structures, thermal protection, and control systems.
• Investigate, select, and qualify high‑temperature materials and material systems capable of sustained operation above 1500°C.
• Analyse material behaviour under thermal cycling, oxidation, ablation, and phase change, identifying risks and driving mitigation strategies.
• Evaluate and influence manufacturing processes (additive manufacturing, advanced casting, welding, high‑precision fabrication) to ensure designs are buildable and scalable.
• Identify material‑ and process‑driven failure modes, feeding insights back into design, analysis, and qualification plans.
• Collaborate closely with propulsion, aerodynamics, and systems teams to translate requirements into manufacturable, testable mechanical designs.
• Support and interpret experimental testing, using data to refine models, material selection, and system architectures.
• Contribute across the full lifecycle from concept through simulation, prototype development, and design maturity.

Requirements

• A highly capable Mechanical Engineer with deep experience in materials, structures, or mechanical system design for extreme environments.
• You bring strong expertise in at least one of the following, with working knowledge across the others: Advanced materials science (high‑temperature alloys, ceramics, composites) Stress and failure analysis (structural mechanics, fatigue, fracture, dynamics) Mechanical system engineering (vehicle‑level integration, dynamic modelling)
• Comfortable tackling highly ambiguous, non‑linear engineering problems under tight performance and safety constraints.
• Highly proficient with advanced simulation tools (e.g. OPTISTRUCT, NASTRAN, COMSOL) and modern CAD tools (e.g. Siemens NX).
• Strong analytical capability, able to connect multi‑physics behaviour into actionable engineering decisions.
• Experienced using test data to validate and challenge models, not treating simulation as an end in itself.
• Detail‑driven yet able to think at the system and vehicle level, understanding how mechanical decisions affect overall performance.
• Familiar with aerospace, defence, or other high‑performance engineering programmes where margins matter.
• Technically curious, rigorous, and motivated by operating at the limits of materials and structural performance.
• Driven by contributing to sovereign hypersonic capability, where correctness, robustness, and execution speed matter.

Benefits

• A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
• Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
• High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
• A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
• A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
• Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.