As an Aerosystems Engineer Officer you will manage the maintenance and operation of the RAF's cutting-edge aircraft and supporting technology.
As an Engineer Officer, you will be responsible for leading your team and making technical decision when it matters most. You will receive world-class training, providing you with the skills to lead and manage large teams of highly skilled technicians.
As an Aerosystems specialist, you will be responsible for ensuring our aircraft are ready to fly at all times, combined closely with assuring their airworthiness and integrity. You will also maintain weaponry, avionics and propulsion systems, airborne communications and ground support equipment.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide engineering management for RAF aircraft maintenance
- Oversee the safety of munitions and other explosive materials
- Setting, influencing and maintaining air-safety policy and direction
TRAINING AND CAREER
TRAINING YOU'LL RECEIVE
RAF officers begin their career by completing the Initial Officer Training Course at the RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire. You will complete a challenging modular 24-week course, split into 4 distinct terms designed to develop your robustness, fitness, leadership and academic skills through a number of indoor and outdoor exercises across the UK.
SPECIALIST TRAINING
You will move onto Engineer Officer Foundation Training and the Aerosystems Specialist Engineer Training (ASET); a 21-week course at the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering. This includes topics such as:
- Fundamentals of airframes, aerodynamics, electronics, avionics, propulsion, structures and materials
- Airworthiness standards and regulation
- Management of armaments and hazardous material
- This is accredited in part by Lincoln University
JUNIOR OFFICER TOURS
As a Junior Officer (JO) you will lead across the Military Air Environment and signals/cyber domain. This includes managing the maintenance of aircraft, systems or equipment on flying stations (with several squadrons of aircraft) or on other delivery stations which provide non-flying equipment capabilities such as communications operations, explosives maintenance and support equipment.
You will be operationally focused, leading teams of skilled non-commissioned officers and technicians, managing and directing their work as well as looking after their welfare with each posting lasting typically 2-3 years.
AS officers support the delivery of flying hardware either leading a shift of maintainers on a flying squadron, leading a maintenance flight (maintaining aircraft, weapons or support equipment). AS engineers gain a broad range of skills working with industry on new and existing equipment, for instance as a key decision maker as part of a large technical programme such as F-35.
To broaden you as an officer, regardless of your AS or CE specialization you will also be encouraged to become involved in wider station activities, typically as the Officer in charge of a club or society, or in furthering the engineering profession for example by becoming a STEM Ambassador.
YOUR CAREER PROSPECTS
You will join the RAF on an Initial Commission of 12 years and may be selected to serve on a pension earning commission of 20 years’ service or age 40 (whichever is the later), during this time. Promotion to the rank of flight lieutenant is on a time served/satisfactory service basis 2½ years from completing IOT, or 1½ years if you have a technical Master’s degree. Further promotion to squadron leader and above is by competitive selection.
ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
You will have all the personal development opportunities and career prospects of your civilian counterparts - and possibly more - together with the chance to work around the world, gaining unique engineering experiences in the process. As well as RAF training packages and courses linked to outside professional bodies, we actively support individual study programmes at every level. You could have opportunities to take on Masters’ degree courses, either full-time or part-time in one of 50 paid for courses while you remain on full salary. We have special agreements with the major Professional Engineering Institutions to attain Incorporated Engineer and Chartered Engineer professional status and we will pay for the associated membership fees.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Much of our in-house training is accredited and/or recognised by external awarding bodies. For engineers, we encourage and have developed a streamlined route with various Professional Engineering Institutes for those looking to obtain their Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
There are numerous opportunities for both professional and personal development throughout your career; this may be an MSc/MBA from the Defence Academy at Shrivenham, using your Standard or Enhanced Learning Credits for courses which are of benefit to the RAF, or – if your specific role requires – a year’s Master’s degree at a UK university in a specialist topic. Furthermore, as you are promoted you will receive further leadership and management training to match your responsibilities.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
An accredited Bachelors or Masters in an appropriate engineering or scientific subject e.g.: aeronautical engineering; electrical engineering or electronic engineering.
Degrees should be accredited by one or more of the 3 professional engineering institutions most closely aligned to the RAF’s needs:
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET); The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS); The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) - (Other degrees might be accepted at the discretion of the Engineer Specialist, please apply and this will be assessed on a case by case basis.)
Degree accreditation status can be determined via the Engineering Council (UK) website www.engc.org.uk.
Applicants must also have a GCSE at Grade C /4-5 or SCE at Grade 2 /SNE at Grade C in English Language.
You can see what the RAF accepts in lieu of GCSEs & A Levels here.