Sr Flight Test Manager

FMS Aerospace is seeking an accomplished Senior Flight Test Manager to lead and grow the company's flight test capability. This is a senior functional leadership role responsible for the strategy, organization, execution, and technical integrity of flight test across the company.

The ideal candidate has led flight test organizations at scale building standardized processes, tools, staffing models, and certification discipline and is equally prepared to engage hands‑on in test planning, instrumentation, data review, and field execution as program needs require. This role carries full accountability for flight test cost, schedule, technical performance, and risk, and serves as the primary technical and customer‑facing authority for flight test across FMS programs.

The Senior Flight Test Manager will also help shape FMS's flight test strategy, assessing future customers, modification, certification, and special‑mission opportunities where flight test can provide differentiated value. In partnership with Business Development and company leadership, this role will advise on pursuit decisions, define anticipated flight test scope and resourcing, and help determine where FMS should invest to build a sustainable, scalable flight test capability beyond current programs.

• Own the strategy, organizational structure, and operating model for flight test across FMS, including standardized processes, procedures, tools, and technology to improve execution and efficiency.
• Establish and maintain a flight test staffing model, qualification standards, and cross‑training discipline that removes single‑person dependencies.
• Serve as the senior technical authority for flight test methodology, instrumentation, data management, and reporting.
• Direct and, when required, personally execute flight test planning, test‑card development, and field test activities.

• Lead flight test planning, execution, data reduction, analysis, and reporting for aircraft modification, certification, development, and acceptance programs.
• Own program cost, schedule, technical performance, and risk for flight test scope of work; manage operating budgets and resource allocation.
• Chair or support Flight Readiness Reviews, Test Plan Working Groups, and test‑readiness/data‑quality gates.
• Coordinate with test pilots, design engineering, stress, maintenance, quality, instrumentation, and program management to ensure test readiness.

• Lead development of certification bases, compliance plans, flight test plans, test procedures, and supporting documentation for FAA, military, and customer certification activities.
• Serve as primary customer focal for flight test activities, leading program reviews and managing customer relationships and expectations.
• Create and maintain airworthiness documentation; support AFM, AFMS, and Instructions for Continued Airworthiness development.
• Establish and manage an aviation safety program and audit flight test compliance with company and customer policies.

• Own instrumentation design, installation, and data‑system architecture for flight test programs, including Master Parameter Lists, calibration, and data export processes.
• Oversee data reduction, performance‑model development, and engineering analysis supporting test reporting and certification.
• Establish and manage a common flight test toolset and data‑management practices across programs.

• Hire staff, train, and develop flight test personnel; maintain policy and certification standards for Test Director and Test Conductor qualifications.
• Mentor and coach engineers and managers; write performance appraisals…