Junior Impact Engineer

As a Impact Engineer, you will join our Derby team to support our activities within the Aerospace sector. We are looking for a motivated early-career Impact Engineer to join a high-performing analysis team working on advanced power and propulsion systems. This role offers hands-on exposure to complex structural behaviour under extreme loading, combining theory, simulation and practical engineering judgement. It is an excellent opportunity to build deep technical capability in a highly regulated, high-impact engineering environment.

• Location: Derby
• On Site: Full-Time
• Clearance: Not Required
• Experience Level: Graduate/Junior

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform impact and structural analysis using advanced principles of continuum mechanics, including stress and strain tensors, stiffness matrices and internal energy calculations.
• Support and develop Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models using both implicit and explicit methods to assess structural response under dynamic loading.
• Create and refine high-quality 3D meshes, with a focus on structured meshing, to support accurate and repeatable simulation results.
• Apply appropriate material models for metallic and composite structures, supporting assessment of elastic and plastic behaviour under impact conditions.
• Interpret simulation outputs, validate results against theoretical expectations, and contribute to clear technical reporting.
• Collaborate with experienced analysts and engineers to support design decisions and continuous improvement of analysis methods.

Qualifications

Required Skills:

• Strong academic grounding in continuum mechanics and structural analysis.
• Working knowledge of Finite Element Methods, including meshing strategies and numerical integration concepts.
• Experience using LS-Dyna is essential.
• Understanding of material behaviour, including isotropic and orthotropic material laws and basic metallic plasticity.
• Confident user of standard engineering tools including MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote.

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, a closely related discipline, or equivalent military experience.

Desirable Skills:

• Any experience within the Aerospace industry and knowledge of its working standards will be taken into consideration.
• Experience with meshing tools such as ANSYS ICEM or Altair HyperMesh (or equivalent).

Additional Information

Why join us? 

We bring together entrepreneurial, tech-driven people to deliver innovative solutions for leading companies.

At ALTEN, you’ll work on exciting projects, supported by ongoing learning, mentoring, and clear career development tailored to your goals.

Join a passionate team and help build tomorrow, today.

In short you get: 

• A personalised career path and a rewarding management style 
• A huge diversity of engineering projects and industries
• Private Medical Insurance
• Cycle & Tech Scheme 
• Employee assistance programme
• Life insurance & Pension Scheme
• Social atmosphere, regular gatherings & team buildings
• Flexible way of working (role dependent)

We are proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant & actively encourage applications from members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans, reservists, service leavers, and military spouses/partners. We recognise the value of military skills and experience and are committed to ensuring that no applicant is unfairly disadvantaged during our recruitment and selection processes. 

This role may require you to have or be willing to go through Security Clearance. As part of the onboarding process candidates will be asked to complete a Baseline Personnel Security Standard; details of the evidence required to apply may be found on the government website Gov.UK. If you are unable to meet this and any associated criteria, then your employment may be delayed, or rejected . Details of this will be discussed with you at interview.

About the Company

ALTEN is a global engineering and technology consultancy operating across over 35 countries worldwide. We partner with industry leaders across sectors including Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Naval, Automotive, Energy, Rail, IT and many more to deliver innovative engineering solutions that drive technological advancement & support sustainable transformation.

Our teams of passionate and agile engineers work on cutting-edge projects that shape the future of technology and sustainability. At ALTEN, we empower talented engineers to innovate, solve complex challenges, and deliver impactful solutions that build tomorrow’s world—today.

Join us and start building tomorrow’s world today!