⚡ Job Title: Senior Flight Test Engineer

💼 Industry: eVTOL / Advanced Air Mobility

🌎 Location: Bay Area, California (On-site)

💰 Compensation: $160,000 – $190,000 Base

⚡ Company Overview:

This pioneering aerial mobility company is engineering the future of flight. With a focus on simplicity, safety, and performance, they are scaling crewed and uncrewed eVTOL platforms to unlock a new era of personal and commercial aviation. Their flagship aircraft is already flying—and you’ll be at the forefront of pushing it further.

⚡ Position Summary:

As a Senior Flight Test Engineer, you’ll lead the planning, coordination, and execution of rigorous flight test activities across novel UAS and crewed eVTOL platforms. You’ll serve as both a technical leader and hands-on contributor, working closely with engineering, flight operations, and certification teams to ensure test campaigns meet safety, performance, and regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with a passion for aviation and thrives in fast-paced, resource-constrained test environments.

⚡ Key Responsibilities:

• Act as a flight test lead and subject matter expert across multiple aircraft programs
• Plan, coordinate, and execute structured flight test campaigns for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft
• Create detailed test plans, hazard analyses, and risk assessments aligned with regulatory standards
• Analyze and interpret flight data to identify trends, anomalies, and improvement opportunities
• Guide the design and integration of flight test instrumentation and telemetry systems
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on aircraft design, upgrades, and troubleshooting
• Maintain aircraft flight readiness and support repairs, retrofits, and component testing
• Document test results, safety concerns, and technical findings in a clear and structured manner
• Travel to test sites as needed (~1x/week) and operate effectively in austere or outdoor environments
• Support the BlackFly pilot training program and may train as a pilot if desired

⚡ Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Mechatronics Engineering
• 5+ years of flight test experience, including envelope expansion and novel aircraft systems
• Hands-on experience with manned aircraft preferred; UAVs considered with clear technical depth
• Proven ownership of complete flight test projects—from test plan to post-flight reporting
• Expertise in flight test telemetry, instrumentation, and scientific data analysis
• Strong knowledge of flight test safety protocols, risk mitigation, and system troubleshooting
• Proficient in CAD (preferably CATIA), technical documentation, and test procedure development
• US Citizen or Green Card holder

⚡ Preferred Skills:

• Formal long-course training from a recognized test pilot school (SETP-recognized)
• Experience supporting aircraft certification flight testing (FAA or DoD)
• FAA Part 107 or Private/Commercial Pilot Certificate
• DER, ODA Unit Member, or experience with FAA Order 4040.26C and ARP 4754
• Familiarity with electric propulsion systems: motors, batteries, controllers
• Programming and data analysis in MATLAB and/or Python
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets capabilities
• Strong communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills

⚡ Compensation and Benefits:

This role includes a highly competitive compensation package, annual bonus, equity, full health coverage, retirement contributions, generous PTO, and the opportunity to contribute to the certification of a revolutionary aircraft platform.