Flight Test Engineer

About the role

You will join the flight test team of an aerospace company responsible for expanding the envelope and proving the vehicle does what it was designed to do. The team owns test planning, instrumentation, execution, and data analysis from first flight through certification. This role matters because flight test is where predictions meet reality at 30,000 feet: your test discipline and real-time judgment keep crews safe while extracting the data that certifies the vehicle. You will operate where engineering analysis meets the real sky, planning test missions that expand the envelope safely and efficiently while the whole program watches. Your test cards will be masterpieces of clarity: precise maneuver definitions, clear success criteria, and abort conditions that protect crew and aircraft. You will earn test pilots' trust through thorough preparation and honest communication, because the cockpit crew must believe your predictions before they fly them. When the data returns, your analysis will be fast and rigorous, turning each flight into decisions about the next one within hours rather than weeks.

What you will achieve

• Deliver flight test campaigns executed on schedule with 95 percent of planned test points achieved and data quality sufficient for certification
• Cut test point re-flies by 25 percent through rigorous pre-flight predictions, instrumentation checkout, and real-time data monitoring
• Own test cards, safety reviews, and go/no-go criteria with hazards identified and mitigated before each flight
• Drive envelope expansion efficiently: build-up approaches that clear flutter, loads, and handling qualities with minimum risk
• Ship flight test reports with analysis traceable to certification requirements, accepted by authorities without rework
• Compress the flight test schedule by designing efficient test matrices that maximize learning per flight hour

What you will bring

Must-haves

• 2 to 5 years of experience in flight test engineering, flight sciences, or test pilot support roles
• Strong understanding of flight mechanics, instrumentation principles, and test safety practices
• Experience with flight test instrumentation: DAS configuration, sensor calibration, and telemetry
• Ability to write detailed test plans with build-up logic, safety considerations, and abort criteria
• Working knowledge of real-time data monitoring and quick-look analysis during test missions
• Data analysis skills in MATLAB or Python for post-flight processing and reporting
• Calm, disciplined judgment in high-consequence test environments

Nice-to-haves

• Formal flight test engineer training (test pilot school graduate or equivalent coursework)
• Experience with flutter, loads, or weapons separation testing
• Knowledge of range operations and airspace coordination
• Private pilot license or flight crew experience
• Graduation from a recognized flight test engineer course or equivalent military training