Overview
As Director, Flight Test Engineering, you lead the testing discipline for one of the world’s most innovative aerospace programs. You will manage a skilled team, shaping ground and flight test activities to meet development, certification, and safe-operation goals. You’ll drive domestic and international test campaigns, customer demonstrations, and operational evaluations, while ensuring alignment with project plans and regulatory requirements. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on testing oversight in a cutting-edge Stratospace program. You’ll partner with engineering, certification, and operations to deliver robust, validated systems that advance Zephyr’s capabilities and A‑
Pay / Benefits
- Performance Bonus
- 25 days of annual leave
- Private Healthcare
- Pension Contributions
- Income Protection & Life Assurance
- Electric Vehicle & Car Scheme
Responsibilities
- Provide inspirational leadership and technical direction to the Flight Test Engineering team
- Manage the technical scope, priorities, and day-to-day activities of flight test engineers
- Lead the planning and delivery of ground and flight test programmes to support certification and development objectives
- Support domestic and international flight test campaigns, including deployment to operational locations as required
- Act as the Flight Test Post Holder within a Part 21J Design Organisation
- Champion a culture of safety, professionalism, compliance, and continuous improvement
- Work with stakeholders to gather, analyse, and derive test requirements
- Oversee the management and delivery of individual test programmes and activities
- Ensure robust impact assessments are completed when changes are introduced
- Verify that aircraft systems and subsystems meet defined requirements and performance expectations
- Evaluate new functionality, system modifications, and product enhancements through structured testing activities
- Ensure testing is conducted in accordance with AALTO development standards and processes
- Oversee the configuration, maintenance, and utilisation of test equipment and testing tools
- Provide clear reporting and recommendations to support programme and business decision-making
Key requirements
- Proven leadership experience with the ability to inspire, develop, and motivate high-performing technical teams
- Extensive experience within aerospace flight test, flight sciences, certification, or developmental testing environments
- Experience working with Aviation Regulators and/or Part 21 organisations
- Strong technical and operational judgement with the ability to make decisions in high-pressure environments
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally in support of flight test activities
- Experience evaluating aerospace software and hardware systems
- Strong understanding of flight sciences principles and aircraft performance
- Experience testing safety-critical systems, ideally within the aerospace sector
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Strong planning, risk management, and programme coordination capabilities
- Approximately 10 years’ experience within the aviation or aerospace industry
- Experience working with uncrewed air systems (UAS)
- Experience supporting flight test programmes for aircraft under development
- leadership
- communication
- stakeholder management
- aerospace flight testing
- certification processes
- Part 21 regulatory knowledge
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