Take responsibility for the full range of RAF technology – from our aircraft to our communications equipment.


Your work

Overview

The RAF is required to generate air power to achieve precise campaign effects across the spectrum of conflict, whenever and wherever they are required. The Engineer Officer's role in the generation of air power is to provide engineering support to RAF aircraft, weapons and communications information systems. Engineer Officers are required to exercise professional engineering judgement, manage significant levels of materiel and budgetary resources, and lead often large bodies of skilled technical personnel in direct support of operations. Depending on your skills and competencies, you could work in either our Aerosystems (AS) or Communications/ Electronics (CE) specializations. The AS specialization handles our aircraft and their weapons, as well as their avionics and propulsion systems, airborne communications and ground support equipment. You could be responsible for a team of specialist technicians who maintain our aircraft to keep them operational at all times. And wherever in the world our aircraft go, our Engineer Officers go too. You’ll learn to do your job and manage your people, not only at your home base but also in a number of geographical locations around the world. Or it could be your role to keep all the support equipment on a base up and running. The CE specialization maintains and sometimes operates our communications networks and ground radar systems. You’ll may also have a role to play in networking all our information systems to make sure up-to-the-minute information is available to our decision makers. You could work at an air defence radar station, air traffic control centres or communication centres both in the UK and around the world. Engineer Officers are also employed in Tactical Signals Units – spearhead units for UK forces which set up mobile and tactical communications for exercises and operations before the other troops arrive.

Like most people in the RAF, you’ll probably move jobs every few years, and each job is known as a tour. Within your first few years, you’ll probably be detached overseas, for anything from a few days to a few months. After a period working in a practical engineering environment, you could undertake more demanding staff appointments. For example, you could be making sure new aircraft and equipment meet the high specifications we require. Or you could be part of a project team, working directly with manufacturers to ensure the RAF gets equipment that can be effectively operated and supported once it comes into service.


Your first tour

For your first tour, you’ll probably be posted to a flying station – an RAF base which is home to one or more squadrons of aircraft. Here you could be responsible for a team of engineers, making sure our aircraft are fit to fly, or ensuring our equipment is fit to support them. Or you could manage navigation aids, ground radars, communications systems and all of the base’s IT. As well as engineering responsibilities, you’ll manage a team of non-commissioned officers and technicians, directing their work and looking after their welfare and morale.


Your training

Initial Officer Training

Like all our officers, you’ll begin your RAF career with Initial Officer Training at the RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire. You’ll follow a challenging 30-week course designed to develop your leadership and management skills. The course includes fitness development, military training and academic study as well as practical outdoor leadership challenges.

Specialist training

After your Initial Officer Training, you’ll stay at Cranwell for either the AS or the CE Engineer Officer Foundation Training course. These are seven-month courses designed to prepare you further for your role as a leader, a technical manager and a professional engineer. Here you’ll begin to learn about engineering for military technology – for example weapons engineering or defence network management, depending upon your AS or CE choice. When you’ve completed your specialist training, you’ll receive your first posting.

Ongoing development

As an Engineer Officer, you’ll have extensive opportunities for further professional development throughout your career. 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 Masters’ degree courses or to receive sponsorship for a part-time second degree. Many qualification-awarding bodies and

professional institutes also recognize our in-house training and work experience. For example, the Engineer Officer Foundation Training you’ll undertake before your first tour is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society as a recognised training route for Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status.


Your future

Career prospects

You’ll join the RAF on either a Short Service Commission of up to six years, or on a Permanent Commission that will normally require a minimum of 18 years’ service. Promotion to the rank of Flight Lieutenant is on a time served/satisfactory service basis. Further promotion to Squadron Leader and above is by competitive selection.

Transferable skills

As an Engineer Officer in the RAF, you’ll have all the development opportunities and career prospects of your civilian counterparts, together with the chance to work around the world and gain unique engineering experiences. You’ll have opportunities to earn professional qualifications and achieve either Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status. Whenever you decide to leave the RAF, you’ll be well placed to find an alternative career in engineering or a management discipline.

How to join

You can join the RAF at any time, as long as you meet the entry qualifications set out below.


Entry Qualifications

Age Limits

21–36

Academic Qualifications

A degree in an appropriate engineering or scientific subject, such as:

• aeronautical engineering;
• mechanical engineering;
• electrical engineering;
• electronic engineering; or
• IT/IS engineering

Professional qualifications will also be considered, and you will need a GCSE/SCE at Grade C/3 or equivalent in English language.

Selection

You must pass selection tests at the Officers and Aircrew Selection Centre at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. You’ll spend four days at the selection centre where we’ll assess your potential to develop officer qualities, including communication skills, self-motivation, maturity, physical fitness and leadership skills.

Nationality

You must have been a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland since birth, or a naturalised British citizen.

Residency

Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should have resided there for the five years immediately preceding your application.

Equal opportunities

The RAF values every individual’s unique contribution, irrespective of race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or social background.