Who we are

Materials and Processes Engineering Manager, Chemical and Environmental Technolgies Spirit AeroSystems, Belfast

A Chartered Engineer, currently working as an Engineering Manager in the Material & Process Engineering department at Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast. Stephen graduated from Queen's University, Belfast in 2011 with an MEng in Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering and has been working in the Material & Process Engineering department at Spirit AeroSystems (formerly Bombardier Aerospace) since then.

He has been actively involved in volunteering for the IMechE since 2017, when he began the role as a Judge in the Institution's UAS Challenge. From there, Stephen learned of a vacant role representing Young Members on the Aerospace Division Board, a position that he has filled since 2018, and that also sees him representing the Aerospace Division on the Institution's Young Members Board.

In 2022 Stephen began exploring the possibility of forming of a Young Members Committee within the Aerospace Division. Supported by the Aerospace Division Board, Stephen hosted the first meeting of the committee in May 2023 with 25 Young Members from the Aerospace Industry attending. 

Graduate Aerodynamics Engineer, MBDA UK
Jack is currently a Graduate Aerodynamics Engineer at MBDA, working within a multidisciplinary project team conducting concepting activities on next generation products. He is now Chair-Elect of the AeDYMC, after a previous term as UAS Challenge Liaison Officer, and currently co-ordinates the Early Careers Aerospace Partnership, an inter-institutional initiative linking Young Member networks from the IMechE, IET, and RAeS.

He holds a Masters in Aero-Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, highlighted by a thesis researching novel propeller design methodologies at the Technische Universität Braunschweig in Germany. Alongside project work, he is a quality analyst for the MBDA early careers strategic research group, represents MBDA in the Weapons Sector Research Framework Early Careers Challenge, and is the Bristol site rep of the MBDA Snow Sports Society. Awarded an Engineering Leaders Scholarship by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Jack has volunteered extensively with the IMechE for over five years and is now the Scottish Region Representative on the Young Member’s Board, and sits on the Early Careers Engineers Professional Engineering Committee. 

ZeroAvia - System Test Engineer

Pablo is keen on sustainable aviation and aerospace in general. Among his other passions are Formula 1 and sport. His background includes studying for four years in an integrated master’s program in Aeronautical Engineering, during which he was part of his university’s UAS team participating in the IMechE UAS challenge. Additionally, during his summers, he conducted research on sustainable aviation and its economic feasibility. He currently works for a company called ZeroAvia, which is developing future hydrogen electric power plants for aviation.

Senior System Verification and Test Engineer at ZeroAvia

Giles has worked in aerospace system test and development for over 10 years, most recently joining ZeroAvia to support the development of their hydrogen-electric propulsion system. He is passionate about the decarbonisation and increasing electrification of aerospace, and through his volunteering for the Aerospace Division Young Members Committee, he is eager to represent this emerging sector of the industry.

Manufacturing Engineer at Collins

Aircraft Maintenance Service Planner

Student at NUST

Gradaute Engineer at Rolls Royce

Junior Engineer at Indra Sistema

Rolls-Royce, Graduate Aerospace Engineer
Kirill is originally from Moscow but has lived in Spain for most of his life. He studied Mechanical Engineering and completed a master's degree. He currently works at Rolls-Royce as a Graduate Aerospace Engineer, with a particular interest in Aerothermal Combustion and Hydrogen technology.

Research intern at the Aerospace Centre of Excellence (ACE)
Joel Cabrera is a BEng Aero-Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Strathclyde. He is currently a research intern at the Aerospace Centre of Excellence, focusing on the testing of attitude and orbit propagators. Joel is also an active volunteer for UKSEDS, serving as the Vice Lead for the Satellite Design Competition (SDC) and the Regional Coordinator for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. He has a strong passion for spacecraft design, CAD & CAE, machine learning, orbital mechanics, electronics, and robotics.

Mark is a Structures Engineer at Thales UK. He graduated from Queen's University Belfast in 2022 with an MEng in Aerospace Engineering. During his time at QUB, Mark served as the Chief Structural Engineer and Stability and Control Engineer for the 2020 IMechE UAS Challenge team, which won the 'Design Award'.

Spirit AeroSystems - Graduate Stress Engineer
James Clarke works at Spirit AeroSystems as a Graduate Stress Engineer. He is involved in Business Development Engineering, focusing on new programs. James graduated from Queen's University Belfast with an MEng (Hons) in Aerospace Engineering. Within the committee, he is currently engaged with the UAS Challenge, particularly the ongoing challenge.

Stress Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems Belfast

James is a Stress Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast, working on the A350 Freighter Centre Fuselage, and has previously contributed to a Hydrogen Nacelle Development Program. He graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2022 with an MEng in Aerospace Engineering. In 2021, James was part of QUB's UAS Challenge team, serving as Chief Aerodynamicist, Stability Engineer, and Manufacturing Engineer.

As part of the AeDYMC, James supports the UAS Challenge, represents the AeDYMC on the Aerospace Materials and Structures Technical Activity Committee (AMSTAC), and advocates for the Northern Ireland region. Additionally, he represents Northern Ireland on the IMechE Young Members Board (YMB) and coordinates with the NI Regional Committee.

Stress Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems Belfast

Programme Manager Power Systems / ISISPACE B.V

Matthew is currently working at ISISPACE B.V. in the Netherlands, where he is responsible for the space vehicle power systems, including solar power generation and power storage products. Early in his career, he gained experience in heavy industry with Heraeus and in aerospace with BAE Systems Air. Matthew is pleased to be advancing in the space sector, particularly after being awarded a place on the ISU SSP 2022 in Portugal, thanks to a scholarship from the UK and European Space Agencies.

He is also a general committee member of the Aerospace Division Young Members Committee (AeDYMC) and is actively working to help the IMechE better serve its members in the rapidly growing space sector, both in the UK and internationally.

Stress Engineer

Safety, Robotics & Human Factors at UKAEA - RACE

Katie works at Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast. She completed a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Queen's University Belfast, where her final project involved designing and manufacturing the pedal box for the Queen's Formula Student electric car. After graduating in 2022, Katie joined Spirit as a Quality Engineer, supporting the production of the Airbus A220 Wing during final assembly. She finds her role to be fast-paced and challenging but enjoys the pressure and the opportunity for quick problem-solving. In September 2023, Katie joined the Aerospace Division Young Members Committee (AeDYMC) as a committee member and looks forward to contributing to the planning for the launch of the School's Aerospace Challenge next year.

Stress Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems Belfast

Graduate Design Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems Belfast

During school, Shane gained an Arkwright scholarship, which provided him with experience at Airbus, Pearson Engineering, and Dyson. He then pursued a BEng in Aeronautical Engineering at Loughborough University, where he was involved in the UAS Challenge for two years. In this role, he served as Chief Airframes Engineer, overseeing the aerodynamic and structural design of their 2023 aircraft.

Shane has since graduated and become a design engineer at Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast, where he works in Defence on the Airbus A350 and the Bombardier Challenger business jets. He is also a member of the Aerospace Division Young Members Committee (AeYDMC). Shane has been involved in mentoring UAS teams from institutions such as Loughborough University and Queen’s University Belfast and has helped organize social activities at the flyoff event. Additionally, he has contributed to the communications team by updating the webpage and the AED Handbook.

NUST AirWorks, Team Mentor / National University of Sciences and Technology
Sohaib is a recent graduate in mechanical engineering and a passionate aerospace enthusiast. During his undergraduate studies, he worked on multiple aerospace projects and is now planning to pursue a master's degree in aircraft design. His goal is to make aerospace knowledge accessible to everyone and create a supportive learning environment.

Graduate Engineer at Airbus

Mechanical Design Engineer
Sai Kiran Varma is a Mechanical Design Engineer at Tyne Gangway Structures. He holds a Master's degree in MBA and Advanced Mechanical Engineering (CFD) from Northumbria University. In addition, he interns as a CFD Engineer at Flow Thermal Labs UK. Sai Kiran Varma has also completed an MSc in Mechanical Engineering with Business Administration.