Chief Stress Engineer

Chief Stress Engineer – Denham

Pure Technical Authority. Safety-Critical Governance. Trust it with lives!

Advance your career in a senior role where technical stress governance meets real-world, life-saving impact. As the Chief Stress Engineer within our Mechanical Engineering group at Denham, you will act as a dedicated Technical Lead and the ultimate authority on structural integrity. From executing complex finite element analysis to signing off critical engineering documentation, your expertise ensures our safety-critical aerospace technologies are validated to the highest international standards.

Direct Impact, Global Scale. Life-Saving Mission.

At Martin-Baker, the work we do matters. We design, manufacture and support life-saving equipment used by aircrew around the world. Our products operate in demanding environments, where quality, reliability and attention to detail are critical.

We’re proud of our long history in aerospace and defence, also focused on the future. Joining Martin-Baker means becoming part of a business with a clear purpose, strong engineering capability and a long-term commitment to its people, products and customers.

Whether you work in engineering, operations, commercial, finance, supply chain or support functions, your contribution helps deliver equipment that protects lives. It is challenging work, but it is also meaningful, and with over 7,800 lives saved, it gives our people the opportunity to be part of something with real impact.

The Opportunity

Working full-time alongside our technical specialist, you will act as a vital line of defence to ensure absolute measurement integrity across our manufacturing operations. This role offers deep day-to-day variety, substantial technical training investment, and an opportunity to shape work that has not previously been done. You will receive full 1-on-1 mentorship as well as external training to develop your skills in emerging digital metrology systems.

What You’ll Do

• Technical Governance: Oversee, execute, and formally approve complex structural stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and damage

tolerance analysis across projects.

• Signatory Authority: Apply the highest professional standards as an immediate signatory for crucial engineering documentation,

data approvals, and compliance verification.

• Active Project Contribution: Remain hands-on by actively contributing directly to core project stressing activities rather than only

reviewing work from a distance.

• Engineering Change & Material Reviews: Provide decisive stress input into engineering change reviews and support complex

material review applications.

• Failure Investigations: Lead and conduct thorough concessional and structural failure investigations, employing robust root-cause

decision-making.

• Agile Problem Solving: Move quickly between unrelated technical matters at short notice, responding efficiently to changing

priorities across the product lifecycle.

What We’re Looking For

• Extensive Stress Analysis Expertise: Deeply established, substantial experience heavily focused on the direct analysis of aircraft

structures or ancillary equipment attached to aircraft.

• Technical Mastery: Masterful expertise in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods, mathematical modelling, structural mechanics,

vibration, and fatigue analysis. Familiarity with tools like Ansys Mechanical, NASTRAN, or LS-Dyna is highly advantageous.

• Credentials: A Master’s degree (or higher) in aerospace structures.
• Professional Status: Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with a recognised professional body (e.g., RAeS, IMechE, IET) is essential

to enable immediate signatory duties.

• Sector Focus: Proven experience within a high-integrity Aerospace or Defence environment is required; purely research-oriented

experience will not suit our active production environment.

• Operational Drive: A delivery-focused problem solver with the agility and responsiveness required to provide technical answers

within short timeframes.

• Share and demonstrate the Martin-Baker values.

Our Values

At Martin-Baker, we value professionalism, understanding, teamwork, humility, accountability and integrity. We look for people who take pride in their work, collaborate openly and act with care because the work we do matters.

What We Offer

• Excellent pension package with strong employer support — Martin-Baker contributes 9% of your salary (non-contributory to the

employee), with further employer contributions that grow as you increase your own

• Life Assurance
• Lunchtime finish on a Friday
• Personalised training and development plan
• Healthcare plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Martin-Baker + (retail discounts platform)
• Occupational Health team
• Workplace Nursery Benefit scheme
• Cycle to work scheme

How to Apply / Your Interview Journey

Please submit your CV and should you wish, a brief covering letter outlining your suitability, including any relevant experience, skills and expertise you can bring to the role.

Hit "Apply Now," send your CV to [email protected], or call us on 01952 281908.

After submitting your application, your details will be reviewed, and the recruitment team will be in touch.

• Stage 1 (Telephone Interview): A detailed conversation with your Recruitment Business Partner to understand your background,

logistics experience, and typical day-to-day workflow.

• Stage 2 (Face-to-Face Interview): site interview with the Head of Mechanical Engineering to explore your background, motivations

and suitability for the role.

• Stage 3 (Final Face-to-Face Interview & presentation): a final board interview with the Head of Mechanical Engineering and other

members of the engineering team involving a presentation

We believe in equal opportunity, committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone is respected. We want you to be able to do your best work.

Martin-Baker is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, showing our support and commitment to our Armed Forces and their families, proudly supporting those who serve.

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

The role also involves access to information governed by U.S. Export Control Laws (including ITAR); therefore, all applicants must satisfy ITAR eligibility requirements.