Find Jobs
Find Jobs Near You – Available Work in Your Location
Senior Flight Test Engineer
Career Insights for Aerospace Engineer
See where this job fits in the broader career landscape. Knowing your career path helps you see what's possible from here.
Scorecard
Based on Alabama data
Review key factors to help you decide if this role fits your goals. How is this calculated?
What they do
An Aerospace Engineer designs aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft using knowledge of engineering and physics, and tests prototypes to see if they work according to design. May specialize in aeronautical design and work with airplanes and helicopters, or specialize in astronautical design and work with vehicles used in outer space. May specialize in a particular area of design, such as aerodynamic flow or navigation.
$117,968 / year median in Alabama
+4% projected growth
Job Description
- Frequent OCONUS travel required
- We are seeking an experienced full-time, permanent Senior Flight Test Engineer for our Huntsville office.
Test Leadership:
Lead flight test planning, execution, data reduction, analysis, and reporting for aircraft modification and certification programs.Regulatory & Certification:
Develop certification bases, regulatory compliance plans, test plans, procedures, test cards, and supporting documentation for FAA, military, and customer certification activities.Flight Operations:
Serve as test director and active aircraft crew member during flight test operations; conduct pre- and post-flight briefings and monitor in-flight test activities.Technical Reporting:
Prepare findings, recommendations, engineering reports, and substantiation materials to support airworthiness approval, product acceptance, and design compliance.Design Review:
Review preliminary and detailed engineering designs, design changes, and customer requirements; support design, safety, test readiness, and data release reviews.Instrumentation Setup:
Define flight test instrumentation parameters, data acquisition requirements, ranges, accuracy, and sampling rates.Program Testing:
Support baseline, envelope expansion, development, certification, operational test, and evaluation flight test programs.Data Analysis:
Perform engineering data reduction and analysis using flight test instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and post-flight analysis tools.Systems Integration:
Support integration, troubleshooting, conformity inspections, and evaluations of mechanical, electrical, avionics, and aircraft system modifications at company, customer, and remote test sites.Documentation:
Develop and review Airplane Flight Manuals (AFM), Airplane Flight Manual Supplements (AFMS), Operating Instructions, and Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness (ICA).Safety & Risk:
Implement FMS Aerospace safety, risk identification, and risk management procedures for all test programs.Weight & Balance:
Establish and maintain weight and balance control of test aircraft to support flight testingTeam Leadership:
Supervise, mentor, and provide technical guidance to junior engineers; allocate resources, manage project budgets, and represent the company in partner and client meetings. Required QualificationsEducation:
Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, , or a highly related engineering discipline.Experience:
Minimum of 10 years of direct experience in flight test engineering.Medical:
Ability to obtain and maintain an FAA Class III Medical Certificate.Core Technical Expertise:
Demonstrated expertise in flight test planning and execution, aircraft performance and handling qualities evaluation, systems testing, flight test instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and engineering data analysis.Regulatory Knowledge:
Deep understanding of aircraft certification processes and FAA, military, or customer regulatory requirements.Leadership & Project Management:
Proven leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to manage budgets, allocate resources, and prioritize assignments across multiple programs.Security Clearance:
Must be a U.S. citizen capable of obtaining and maintaining a Department of Defense Secret clearance.Travel & Schedule:
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% to customer sites, hangars, and test locations; willingness to work overtime during active flight test windows.Software:
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Desired Skills/Experience- Strong background in aviation airframe modifications or the aerospace industry.
- Prior DoD or military flight test experience.
- Experience with data acquisition systems, telemetry, instrumentation, and programming/engineering tools (e.g., MATLAB, Python, Dewesoft).
- Fixed-wing flight test experience.
- Licensed Private Pilot.