Senior Flight Test Engineer

Overview

Senior Flight Test Engineer to lead the planning, execution, and analysis of experimental aircraft flight tests supporting upcoming full scale demonstrator. This role provides technical and operational leadership within the flight test team and is responsible for ensuring safe, disciplined, and efficient test execution across multiple systems and test objectives.

The Senior Flight Test Engineer acts as a primary technical authority during test planning and execution, working directly with flight test pilots, engineering leadership, and flight operations to expand aircraft capability and maturity.

• Lead flight test planning and execution for ground and flight test campaigns
• Author and approve flight test plans, test cards, and procedures
• Define test objectives, success criteria, and logical sequencing of test points
• Lead or support flight readiness reviews, safety reviews, and risk assessments
• Serve as Test Conductor / Test Director during ground and flight test events as appropriate
• Coordinate across engineering disciplines to ensure system readiness and configuration control
• Lead real-time test execution from the Telemetry Room / Telemetry Operations, including telemetry monitoring and real-time coordination with the flight crew
• Perform and oversee post-test data analysis, anomaly resolution, and test reporting
• Provide technical mentorship to junior and mid-level flight test engineers
• Drive continuous improvement of flight test processes, tools, and documentation
• Support certification, compliance, or regulatory test activities as required
• Represent flight test engineering in program reviews and cross-functional forums

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in experimental or developmental flight test engineering
• Demonstrated experience leading flight test activities or acting as Test Conductor
• Strong understanding of aircraft systems, flight test techniques, and operations
• Experience authoring test plans, test cards, and formal test reports
• Proficiency with flight test data analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, or equivalent)
• Excellent technical judgment and decision-making skills in dynamic test environments
• Strong leadership, communication, and coordination skills
• Willingness to travel and support remote or austere test sites as required

• Experience with fly-by-wire systems, advanced avionics, or novel aircraft configurations
• Experience with certification or compliance flight testing
• Prior leadership role in Telemetry Operations to include Test Conducting
• Previous onboard flight test engineer experience
• Pilot certificate, Graduate of a SETP Recognized Test Pilot School, or equivalent operational background