Head of Engineering - Prototype & Testing at UK Fusion Energy
📍 United Kingdom
Simon Harper is a multi-disciplinary engineering leader specializing in the development and testing of new technologies. He has progressed from renewable energy systems at GE to a foundational role at Vertical Aerospace, where he was a key early employee. He now leads prototype and testing for the UKs fusion energy programme.
Interesting fact: Simon was the fourth employee to join the aerospace startup Vertical Aerospace, playing an instrumental role in its formative years and early eVTOL projects.
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Experience
17 Years
Current Role
Head of Engineering - Prototype & Testing
Job Level
Mid-senior
Location
United Kingdom
Personality Overview
How Simon shows up
ROI Conscious
Upfront
Demanding
They respond well to confident salespeople. They care equally about the product and its potential impact. They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.
Priorities
Topics Simon cares about
Fusion Energy
Currently leads the engineering team for prototyping and testing at UK Fusion Energy, contributing to the UK's world-class STEP Fusion programme.
Aerospace Innovation
Spent over five years in senior roles at Vertical Aerospace, leading test and development for novel electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
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Career
Work history
9-2025
Head of Engineering - Prototype & Testing
UK Fusion Energy
5-2018 - 4-2025
Head of Test
Vertical Aerospace
5-2016 - 5-2018
Senior Special Project Engineer
Vertical Aerospace
11-2015 - 5-2016
Lead Mechanical Design Engineer (Tidal Turbines)
GE
10-2011 - 11-2015
Performance and Loads Engineer
Alstom Ocean Energy
In the press
Media appearances
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Calculativeness (C) reflects the degree to which a person is likely to be cautious, systematic and analytical. Those scoring high tend to emphasise quality and accuracy.
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