Senior Flight Physics Engineer

Staff / Senior Flight Physics Engineer

Manassas, VA

At Electra, we're building the EL9 — a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology unlocks thousands of new operating locations and enables what we call Direct Aviation: quiet, point-to-point regional travel that gets people from where they are to where they want to go, without the congestion of major airports or the noise of conventional aviation.

A global company, headquartered in Manassas, VA, Electra is backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran, has filed for FAA Part 23 type certification, and carries 2,000+ intent to purchase from operators worldwide. We're a team of ~100 people moving fast toward first EL9 test flights in 2027 and certification by late 2029 or 2030. Every hire matters at this stage — and this role is no exception.

As a Staff or Senior Flight Physics Engineer, you will support the design, development, analysis, and certification of Electra's hybrid-electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft. This role focuses on aircraft performance, flight physics, and multidisciplinary design analysis, helping ensure our aircraft meets demanding operational and certification requirements.

You will work closely with aerodynamics, flight sciences, systems, certification, flight test, and aircraft design teams to analyze aircraft performance across all phases of flight, evaluate certification compliance, and support critical design decisions. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with systems thinking and thrives in a fast-paced startup environment where collaboration, adaptability, and technical ownership are essential.

• Analyze and evaluate aircraft performance across all phases of flight, including takeoff, landing, climb, cruise, and failure scenarios
• Incorporate aerodynamic data from flight testing, wind tunnel testing, and CFD simulations into aircraft performance models and evaluations
• Assess aircraft performance against FAA Part 23 certification requirements and support certification activities with regulatory authorities
• Conduct sensitivity studies and trade analyses to understand the impact of aircraft design parameters on performance metrics
• Develop and maintain performance analysis tools, models, and methodologies using Python or MATLAB
• Support aircraft design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, and certification reviews) by presenting analysis results and technical recommendations
• Provide performance, risk, and mass-property inputs to multidisciplinary trade studies and program decisions
• Define and evaluate aircraft-level requirements, architectures, and interfaces across systems and disciplines
• Collaborate with engineering teams to gather, analyze, and interpret data that drives informed design decisions
• Support validation of performance predictions through test planning, data analysis, and correlation activities
• Document engineering methods, analyses, assumptions, and results with a high degree of technical rigor

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• Experience in aircraft performance analysis, flight sciences, aerodynamics, or related aerospace engineering disciplines
• Experience with aircraft certification requirements, particularly FAA Part 23 and/or Part 25
• Proficiency with Python or MATLAB for engineering analysis and modeling
• Experience using version control tools such as Git
• Strong understanding of flight vehicle dynamics and aircraft performance, particularly takeoff and landing performance
• Experience with vortex lattice method (VLM) and aircraft analysis tools such as AVL, xRotor, or similar
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems engineering skills
• Ability to effectively communicate technical findings to multidisciplinary audiences
• Experience developing and maintaining clear engineering documentation
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, highly integrated development environment

• Master's or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline
• Experience supporting aircraft development programs from conceptual design through certification
• Familiar…