New Head of Engineering at Oxfordshire space rocket company

Reaction Engines, the Abingdon-headquartered company which is pioneering the development of a rocket-propelled aircraft that can fly into space, has appointed Philippa Davies as its Head of Engineering, a role which will see her more directly involved in shaping the direction of the business as she leads the entire Reaction Engines’ engineering division.

Philippa joined the company as a turbomachinery engineer in 2012, carrying out aerodynamic and mechanical concept work for SABRE (the company's innovative Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine).

She has since held management positions, serving as Functional Integration Lead of the SABRE ground based demonstrator engine and more recently, Technical Chief-of-Staff, working alongside the Chief Executive Officer.

Mark Thomas, CEO of Reaction Engines, said:“Philippa has a wealth of experience in delivering highly complex projects, leading teams and building technical capability. I have worked alongside Philippa for many years and she never fails to impress with her professionalism, knowledge and sheer passion for engineering and technology. She is the perfect candidate to lead our talented engineering team as we embark upon the next phase of the company’s growth"

Philippa added: "I’m delighted to have taken on the role of Head of Engineering and look forward to working with the wider team. These first few months are going to be really interesting as we re-balance the engineering function and explore opportunities to work on a variety of projects including nearer term commercial opportunities as well as the ambitions of our high Mach flight and Space Access projects"

Philippa graduated from the University of Southampton with a First Class degree in Aerospace Engineering. She started her career on Rolls-Royce’s Engineering Leadership Graduate Scheme and worked on a number of flagship projects. She’s immensely proud to play her part in developing exciting technology for aerospace.