Verification & Test Engineer

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability   At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.   By joining Hypersonica, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.   We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you'll do

• Own the  system architecture and system model  for  Hypersonica’s  high‑speed flight vehicles, ensuring mission intent, vehicle dynamics, avionics, and GNC form a coherent, verifiable whole.  

• Lead  aerospace systems architecture design , taking responsibility for how the vehicle is defined across disciplines from early concept through Preliminary Design Review (PDR)  and beyond .  

• Build and  maintain  the  authoritative system requirements model , decomposing mission‑level  objectives  into clear, testable system and sub‑system requirements.  

• Define and own the  end‑to‑end system V‑model , including requirements validation, verification strategy, and clear readiness gates for Kick‑off and PDR.  

• Apply  model‑based systems engineering (MBSE)  as a practical engineering tool, not a documentation exercise, ensuring traceability between requirements, models, analyses, and tests.  

• Develop and deliver a  6‑DoF Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) model  to PDR standard, in close collaboration with flight physics and avionics engineers.  

• Apply  closed‑loop control theory  in the context of high‑speed flight and military guidance, ensuring controllability, stability, and performance are understood at the system level.  

• Integrate vehicle dynamics, control laws, sensors, and actuators into a coherent closed‑loop system representation.  

• Identify  system‑level risks  early  particularly around requirements gaps, controllability, observability, and verification — and drive mitigations decisively.  

• Act as a technical authority across disciplines, keeping architectural decisions coherent as designs evolve at pace.  

Who you are

• An experienced Systems Engineer  with a strong  track record  in system architecture, requirements decomposition, and delivery in safety‑ or mission‑critical environments.  

• Deeply fluent in  model‑based systems engineering , with practical experience owning requirements models and using MBSE to drive real engineering decisions.  

• Strong grounding in  closed‑loop control theory , applied to high‑speed flight, guidance, and  defence  or military systems.  

• Comfortable developing and working with  6‑DoF flight and GNC  models , and  understanding their implications at vehicle level.  

• Experienced taking systems through  early design gates  (Kick‑off, PDR), not just theoretical or paper studies.  

• Someone who thinks in  system  behaviours , interfaces, and failure modes , not isolated components.  

• Confident operating in ambiguous, fast‑moving environments where decisions must be made with incomplete data.  

• Technically credible across disciplines, able to challenge assumptions and close decisions without  consensus  theatre.  

• Motivated by working on systems where performance, robustness, and national‑level impact genuinely matter.  

Security and Elgibility Requirement

Due to the nature of the work with the UK MOD, applicants must be a British Citizen (or Dual UK national with British citizenship) and eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC) and, where required, Developed Vetting (DV)  

What we offer

• 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.  

At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.   Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.   You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.