TL;DR
- An aerospace engineer designs, develops, tests and supports aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and their systems. O*NET's tasks for the occupation run from formulating the conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products to meet customer requirements, through mathematical modelling, stress and environmental tests on models and prototypes, and diagnosing performance problems from field reports, to writing technical documentation and evaluating vendors. Prospects describes an industry that spans civil and military aircraft, defence systems, satellites and space vehicles.
- The responsibilities fall into seven groups across a product's life: requirements and conceptual design, analysis and modelling, detail design and integration, test, certification and compliance, in-service support and investigation, and documentation and the team. Aerospace is a family of specialisms, from aerodynamics, structures and propulsion to avionics, flight test, systems integration and space systems, and the advert should name the one it is hiring, because a stress engineer and a flight controls engineer are different candidates.
- Entry is usually a degree or degree apprenticeship in aerospace, aeronautical or a related engineering discipline, with the National Careers Service and Prospects both listing lower-level apprenticeship and college routes with further study. Accreditation by the Royal Aeronautical Society helps towards incorporated or chartered status, and Prospects notes that defence and some space roles need security clearance and that some technical roles specify normal colour vision. Write the advert around the specialism, the product, the phase of its life and the clearance, and set objectives on the deliverables, the evidence and the schedule.
An aircraft is certified, not just built. Every structure, system and component on it has to be designed to a requirement, analysed against it, tested to prove it, documented so a regulator can check it and supported for decades in service. The aerospace engineer job responsibilities follow that life, and the job description for an aerospace engineer is only useful when it says where in that life the job sits and which of the discipline's many specialisms it belongs to.
This article sets out the responsibilities using three primary sources, the US O*NET occupational database, the UK National Careers Service and the Prospects graduate careers service, groups them into seven duties, lists the specialisms, separates the aerospace engineer from the mechanical engineer, the avionics engineer and the licensed maintenance engineer, covers qualifications, registration and clearances, and gives a job description template with objectives.
Engineers work to requirements, and their own objectives should be as clear as the ones they design to. See how New Dynamics Goals & OKRs keep an engineer's objectives, evidence and reviews in one place across a long programme.
What does an aerospace engineer do?
O*NET describes the occupation as performing “engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft”, with research into the adaptability of materials and equipment and improvements to testing equipment and techniques. Its reported titles show the breadth: aeronautical engineer, aerospace stress engineer, avionics engineer, design engineer, flight controls engineer, flight systems test engineer, flight test engineer, structural analysis engineer and structural test engineer.
The Prospects profile calls aerospace “a broad multidisciplinary industry encompassing a range of engineering disciplines”, covering civil and military aircraft, missiles and defence systems, and satellites and space vehicles, with a focus on “improving safety, performance, fuel efficiency, speed and weight, while reducing costs and meeting customer and regulatory requirements”. The National Careers Service lists the day-to-day tasks: build and test prototypes using CAD software; analyse test results to improve aircraft structures and aerodynamics; research new types of fuel and ways to reduce engine emissions; manage projects and supervise engineers and technicians; develop new instruments and software for spacecraft; and plan and supervise maintenance programmes.
Aerospace engineer responsibilities: seven duties across a product's life
Grouped from the O*NET tasks and the two UK profiles, the work follows the product.
- Requirements and conceptual design. Analyse project requests, proposals and engineering data to determine feasibility, producibility, cost and production time, in O*NET's words; formulate the conceptual design to meet customer requirements and regulations; develop design criteria including testing methods, quality standards and completion dates.
- Analysis and modelling. Formulate mathematical models and computer analysis to develop, evaluate or modify the design: aerodynamics, structures and stress, thermal, propulsion, control laws. This is where the aerospace stress engineer and the structural analysis engineer in O*NET's titles live.
- Detail design and integration. Produce the design in CAD; support assembly, integration and installation of systems and components, as Prospects lists; resolve the issues that arise between disciplines when the parts meet.
- Test. Plan and conduct experimental, environmental, operational and stress tests on models and prototypes; contribute to ground and flight-test programmes to assess performance, safety and reliability; evaluate product data from inspections for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements and quality standards.
- Certification and compliance. Produce the evidence that the design meets the airworthiness, environmental and customer requirements; communicate technical and regulatory advice to clients, teams and suppliers; evaluate and approve vendors by studying their past performance.
- In-service support and investigation. Diagnose performance problems from customer and field reports or by inspecting damaged products; plan and coordinate the investigation and resolution of technical problems; analyse in-service performance and support maintenance, repair and upgrade; contribute to incident and accident investigations where relevant.
- Documentation and the team. Write technical reports, handbooks and bulletins for engineering staff, management and customers; maintain performance records; direct or coordinate engineering and technical personnel in design, fabrication, modification and test. The National Careers Service includes managing projects and supervising engineers and technicians.
The specialisms
Prospects lists the areas an aerospace engineer may work in: aerodynamics, avionics, materials and structures, propulsion, systems integration, and space systems and spacecraft engineering; and notes that job titles vary, from aerospace design engineer and flight test engineer to propulsion engineer, systems engineer and test engineer. The National Careers Service adds fuel efficiency, satellite and space technology and air accident investigation as fields to specialise in with experience.
The advert should name the specialism in the title, because the candidates do not overlap: a stress engineer searches for stress engineer, not aerospace engineer. Name the product too, whether a civil airliner wing, a military platform, a satellite bus or an engine, and the phase of its life the job sits in.
Aerospace engineer vs mechanical engineer vs avionics engineer vs maintenance engineer
| Role | Works on | Distinctive knowledge |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace engineer | Aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and their systems | Aerodynamics, flight, airworthiness and the certification process |
| Mechanical engineer | Machines and mechanical systems in any industry | Mechanics, thermodynamics, manufacturing |
| Avionics engineer | The electronic systems on aircraft and spacecraft | Electronics, software, control and communications |
| Licensed aircraft maintenance engineer | Aircraft in service | Maintenance, inspection and release to service under a licence |
Many aerospace engineers hold mechanical or electrical degrees, which the National Careers Service lists as accepted routes in, and the mechanical engineer job description and the electrical engineer job description cover those neighbouring roles. The difference is the environment the product operates in and the regulatory process it must pass.
Skills employers look for
Prospects lists strong technical knowledge of aerospace systems, materials and manufacturing processes; analytical and problem-solving skills for complex engineering challenges; creativity and innovation in developing, testing and improving designs; attention to detail and a methodical approach to ensure safety, quality and compliance; communication and teamworking in multidisciplinary teams; and the ability to manage time, adapt to change and meet deadlines, with language skills useful in international joint ventures. The National Careers Service adds knowledge of engineering science, maths and physics, design skills, analytical thinking, verbal communication and confidence with computer systems and software.
For the advert, add:
- Rigour with evidence. The habit of showing, not asserting, that a requirement is met.
- Tolerance for long programmes. Aircraft take years; the engineer has to keep the standard up through the eighth iteration.
- Working across disciplines, because every aerospace problem crosses at least two.
Hours and environment. Prospects describes standard office hours with extra hours at busy times and to meet deadlines, hybrid arrangements common, and occasional out-of-hours technical advice in in-service support, test or defence roles. The National Careers Service lists factories, offices, aircraft and hangars, sometimes in protective clothing.
Qualifications, registration and clearances
Entry. Prospects says many aerospace companies' graduate schemes require entry at level 6, through a degree or degree apprenticeship in aeronautical or aerospace engineering, with mathematics, physics or another engineering discipline often accepted; entry at a lower level is possible through apprenticeships or college courses at levels 3 to 5 with further study, often supported by employers. The National Careers Service lists degrees and postgraduate courses in aerospace engineering, avionics, electrical, mechanical or manufacturing engineering, physics, astronautics, software engineering or mathematics, and an HNC or HND before a trainee technician job. O*NET places the occupation in Job Zone four, usually a bachelor's degree.
Professional registration. Prospects notes that a degree or Masters accredited by the Royal Aeronautical Society helps meet the educational requirements for registration as an incorporated or chartered engineer. State whether the company supports it.
Clearances and requirements. Prospects says security clearance may be required for defence and some space roles, depending on the employer and the work, and that some technical roles specify normal colour vision. Put both in the advert if they apply; they decide who can take the job.
Progression. The National Careers Service gives specialisation, project management, consultancy and technical sales; Prospects adds that experienced and chartered engineers may work on a consultancy or contract basis.
Aerospace engineer job description template
Job title: Aerospace Engineer (state the specialism: Stress, Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Systems, Flight Test, Avionics, Space Systems)
Reports to: Lead Engineer, Engineering Manager or Chief Engineer
Scope: State the product and programme, the phase of its life (concept, development, certification, in service), the team, the customer and regulator, and any clearance required.
Purpose: Design, analyse, test and support the product so that it meets its requirements for safety, performance and compliance, with the evidence to prove it and the documentation to maintain it.
Responsibilities:
- Analyse requirements and proposals for feasibility, producibility, cost and schedule; contribute to conceptual design and design criteria.
- Build and run mathematical models and analyses; evaluate and modify designs against the requirements.
- Produce detail designs in CAD; support assembly, integration and installation; resolve cross-discipline issues.
- Plan and conduct tests on models, prototypes and systems; contribute to ground and flight-test programmes; evaluate results for conformance.
- Produce certification and compliance evidence; advise clients, teams and suppliers on technical and regulatory matters; evaluate vendors.
- Diagnose and resolve in-service problems; support maintenance, repair and upgrade; contribute to investigations.
- Write technical reports, handbooks and bulletins; maintain records; coordinate engineers and technicians as required.
Skills and experience:
- Degree or degree apprenticeship in aerospace, aeronautical or a related engineering discipline; accredited where possible.
- Experience in the named specialism and product type; familiarity with the relevant airworthiness or space standards.
- Analytical rigour, attention to detail and a methodical approach to safety and compliance.
- Clear technical writing and communication across disciplines; teamworking on long programmes.
- Eligibility for security clearance where required; any specified medical requirement.
Working pattern: State the hours, hybrid arrangement, deadline peaks, travel to test sites or customers, and any out-of-hours support.
Progression: Specialist, lead engineer, chief engineer, project management or consultancy; state the support for chartered status.
Objectives for the appraisal
Programmes are long, so review against milestones rather than the calendar:
- Deliverables. Designs, analyses and reports delivered to the programme milestones, with changes to scope decided openly.
- Evidence. Requirements verified and compliance evidence accepted by the customer or regulator first time, or the reasons recorded.
- Problems. In-service and test issues diagnosed and closed within the agreed times.
- Development. Progress towards registration and one competency deepened each year, recorded in the review.
Frequently asked questions
What are the responsibilities of an aerospace engineer?
Designing, analysing, testing and supporting aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and their systems: analysing requirements and formulating conceptual designs, building mathematical models, producing detail designs and supporting integration, planning and conducting tests, producing certification evidence, diagnosing and resolving in-service problems, and writing technical documentation. The US occupational database lists fifteen tasks for the occupation, from conceptual design to evaluating vendors.
What is the difference between an aerospace engineer and a mechanical engineer?
The aerospace engineer works on vehicles and systems that operate in the air and in space, with the aerodynamics, flight and airworthiness knowledge and the certification process that come with them. The mechanical engineer works on machines and mechanical systems in any industry. Many aerospace engineers hold mechanical degrees; the National Careers Service lists mechanical engineering as a route in.
What qualifications do you need to be an aerospace engineer?
Usually a degree or degree apprenticeship in aerospace, aeronautical or a related engineering discipline, which Prospects says is the level 6 entry most graduate schemes require; apprenticeship and college routes at levels 3 to 5 exist with further study. Accreditation by the Royal Aeronautical Society helps towards incorporated or chartered status.
Do aerospace engineers need security clearance?
For defence and some space-related roles, Prospects says clearance may be required, depending on the employer and the nature of the work. Some technical roles also specify normal colour vision. The advert should state both where they apply.
What can aerospace engineers specialise in?
Aerodynamics, avionics, materials and structures, propulsion, systems integration and space systems, in Prospects' list; the National Careers Service adds fuel efficiency, satellite and space technology and air accident investigation. Job titles follow the specialism: stress engineer, flight test engineer, propulsion engineer, systems engineer.
Your next step: name the specialism, the product and the phase
- Put the specialism in the job title and the product and programme in the first line.
- Say which phase of the product's life the job sits in and which of the seven duties dominate.
- State the clearance, medical and registration requirements and the support offered.
- Set objectives against programme milestones and review them at each one.
For a way to write objectives an engineer can be measured against, read and download our SMART goals guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.
Want engineers' objectives, milestone reviews and competency records in one place across a long programme? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current review form. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.
