I Got Hired: Natalie

Posted on: 26 September 2025 by Richard Finch in Class of 2024

Natalie is a BEng Aerospace Engineering graduate who now works for Britten-Norman Aerospace Ltd as an Airworthiness Engineer.

How did you hear about your role?

My first role was as a Design Office Intern at Britten-Norman, a UK aircraft manufacturer. I heard about the role from my lecturers at the School of Engineering, who shared it with the students in my year. I decided to apply because I already knew the company quite well: my final year university project was based on one of Britten-Norman’s aircraft variants, and I had already given a presentation on my project to members of the Design Office at Britten-Norman. I had also participated in a trip organised by my department to visit one of Britten-Norman’s aircraft hangars. The opportunity to work for a company that still builds their own aircraft in the UK was not one I could pass up on.

How did you get to where you are now?

My final year project was based on a Britten-Norman aircraft, the BN2T-4S Islander; it was titled ‘Development of a Simulation Model of the BN2T-4S using MATLAB/Simulink’. My project offered me the invaluable opportunity to cooperate with an industry partner, and I worked alongside Britten-Norman’s Head of Flight Dynamics as well as a previous UoL student, who had since joined Britten-Norman, throughout my third year at university. I was also able to connect further with the Britten-Norman team at a careers event hosted by the School of Engineering.

When the role of Design Office Intern became available, I applied and was offered the role. I joined Britten-Norman’s Design Organisation in August 2024. One of my responsibilities as an Intern at Britten-Norman was to support the 2024/2025 third year University of Liverpool project students, helping them as I was helped by a previous UoL student.

In that first year at Britten-Norman, I was very pleased to see the company secure investment to ramp up aircraft production in the UK, and I look forward to seeing Britten-Norman develop its production line further in the near future.

In February 2025, after 6 months with the company, I was offered a permanent position as an Airworthiness Engineer. Since my promotion, I have gained invaluable experience working on certification and validation activities, modifications, and overall, I have developed a solid understanding of all the aspects that go into keeping aircraft airworthy.

Your favourite experience as part of your current role?

My favourite experience to date as part of my current role was the opportunity to visit Britten-Norman’s new-build aircraft production line at Bembridge Airport on the Isle of Wight. Seeing aircraft being built from just sheets of metal was fascinating, and was not something I’d ever witnessed before. Seeing parts that I had only previously seen on computer screens actively be assembled in front of me was an almost surreal experience. It served to remind me that the projects I work on are put into reality on the Britten-Norman Islanders flying in the sky today, as well as the ones currently being built to take to the skies in the future.

The most challenging part of your graduate journey?

The transition from theoretical learning at university to practical application of that knowledge was quite challenging. Add in the fact that Britten-Norman has been developing aircraft for over 60 years, I found myself learning to interpret 60 additional years of engineering expertise. Challenging as this was/is, it is also extremely rewarding to reap the rewards of 3 years of university studies and to translate this knowledge into real world application.

What's your #1 piece of advice for future grads?

Make the most of every opportunity offered to you, big or small, as you never know where it might lead.

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