Principal Flight Controls Engineer

Overview

About Electra Electra is pioneering sustainable aviation by developing hybrid-electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft designed to transform regional air mobility by making air travel more efficient, quieter, and environmentally friendly. Our Ultra Short can operate from soccer field-sized spaces and enables Direct Aviation — bringing air travel closer to where we live, work, and play. Headquartered in Northern Virginia, with additional locations in Switzerland, we are building a diverse team of global professionals passionate about redefining the future of aviation.

Electra.aero is seeking a Principal Flight Controls Engineer to serve as a senior technical authority and flight controls certification subject‑matter expert for the EL9 Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft. This role works in close partnership with the Flight Controls System IPT Lead, providing deep expertise in certification, safety, and verification to support system development from detailed design through certification and entry into service.

As the program transitions into detailed design, this role will have increasing focus on functional certification planning, system‑level verification, and authority engagement, while enabling IPT leadership through technical mentorship and risk reduction.

• Act as the flight controls certification focal for the EL9 program, owning the functional certification approach.
• Lead development and maintenance of the flight controls functional certification plan.
• Translate regulatory requirements and system safety assessments into certifiable flight control functions.
• Provide technical oversight for verification planning and execution across:
• Analysis and simulation
• Software‑in‑the‑Loop (SIL) and Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop (HIL)
• Ground and flight test

• Partner with the Flight Controls IPT Lead to:
• Support system architecture decisions
• Assess certification impacts of design changes
• Retire certification and verification risk

• Support system safety activities, including FHA, PSSA, and SSA alignment
• Interface with certification authorities and support technical discussions, reviews, and issue resolution
• Mentor flight controls engineers in certification, verification, and systems thinking
• Coordinate across disciplines including systems engineering, safety, software, propulsion, and flight test
• Support certification closure and entry‑into‑service readiness

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering or related STEM discipline
• 10+ years of experience in flight controls or related aerospace systems development
• Experience supporting aircraft certification and verification activities on safety‑critical systems

• Strong understanding of aircraft flight control systems and architectures
• Demonstrated experience with certification planning and compliance for aerospace systems
• Ability to operate as a technical authority and in‑house subject‑matter expert
• Excellent communication skills, including authority‑facing technical discussions
• Experience with MATLAB / Simulink-based control development and verification environments
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across IPTs and disciplines

• Advanced degree preferred
• Experience with fly‑by‑wire aircraft from development through certification
• Experience with system‑level verification and integration testing
• Familiarity with eSTOL, powered‑lift, or novel aircraft configurations
• Demonstrated knowledge of Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), certification procedures, and industry standards
• Prior experience acting as a certification focal or technical lead
• US Person (Citizen or Green Card) preferred
• Licensed Pilot preferred

Headquarters in Manassas, VA. To encourage close collaboration, this position is strongly preferred to be on-site.

Electra
's salary range for this position is: $-. Salary ranges reflect the minimum and maximum range for the Company level across locations and projects and do not necessarily reflect the budgeted amount for this position. Individual pay is based on additional factors, including project budgets, job-related skills, experience, relevant education and/or training, role, level, location, and project.