Technical Manager (Fluid Dynamics)

Overview

As Technical Manager, you will lead the Structural and Fluid Dynamics capability within a defence-focused organisation in Bristol, guiding senior-level technical direction and resource planning. You will balance hands-on engineering with management, ensuring the team has the right tools, processes and talent to meet current and future project needs. You will act as the technical excellence focal point, shaping capability development and cross-functional alignment to support flight, aeroelastic and CFD analyses. This role offers scope to influence strategic capability improvements and tool adoption in a high-stakes environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership or support on projects as required
• Ensure technical support for customer interactions either via team or personally
• Manage external suppliers including tendering and quality audits
• Ensure the team has the right people, tools and processes to deliver
• Act as focal point for tools and evaluate toolsets, driving new tools/upgrades with business cases
• Allocate team members to align with project needs
• Define and manage annual budget for capability development and processes
• Support business development, contribute to proposals and bids with technical solutions
• Perform technical checks/approvals within delegated authority
• Act as process owner for the technical domain and lead updates to missing/outdated processes
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and process changes
• Own bench tasks to support capability development and delivery readiness
• Collaborate with other Technical Managers for cross-functional alignment
• Support team development aligned with individual and company needs

Key requirements

• Degree level education (Bachelor)
• Industrial experience in structural and fluid dynamics areas and related domains
• Good appreciation of related toolsets and processes
• Ability to balance hands-on technical work with leadership and management responsibilities
• Eligibility to obtain SC clearance (UK) or status
• Desirable: Masters/Doctorate in a relevant field; Engineering Body membership; Chartered Engineer status

• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Matlab
• Nastran
• Ansys Fluent

…