Flight Sciences Director

Job Description

Job Description

We are looking for an experience Flight Sciences Director to oversee development of a large Part 25 aircraft. This leader will be accountable for the Flight Sciences organization, including the discipling of aerodynamics, aircraft performance, loads and dynamics, stability and control, handling qualities, controls laws, and mass properties. The role reports to the VP of Engineering and Chief Engineer.

This hands-on technical leader will provide engineering executive expertise while ensuring the Flight Sciences team meets technical deliverables on schedule and within budget. The role owns Flight Sciences performance across technical quality, cost and schedule, including requirements definition, task planning, integrated development schedules, certification planning, cost management, risk and opportunity management, and supplier integration. This leader will set priorities, plan team capacity, and adjust execution as the program strategy evolves.

Position Responsibilities: 

• Lead the Flight Sciences organization, including aerodynamics, airplane performance, loads and dynamics, stability and control, control laws, handling qualities, and mass properties. 

• Provide technical leadership, decision-making, and review authority across Flight Sciences disciplines to ensure solutions meet program, certification, safety, and performance objectives. 

• Guide recruiting, staffing plans, and organizational growth for the Flight Sciences team to support PDR, CDR, certification, and production readiness.

• Ensure that all engineering processes and standards are followed by your team 

• Work with systems engineering and certification teams to define regulatory requirements and means of compliance within the Flight Sciences domain. 

• Guide the Flight Sciences team with strategic planning, scheduling, budgeting, and overall project management 

• Represent Flight Sciences in key design reviews, technical interchange meetings, certification reviews, and executive program reviews. 

Requirements

• BS, MS, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related technical field. 

• 15+ years of experience in Flight Sciences, and at least 5 years in technical leadership, people leadership, or functional management roles 

• Proven leadership capability combined with deep technical knowledge 

• Deep expertise in at least one Flight Sciences discipline and broad foundational knowledge across the Flight Sciences domains (aerodynamics, aircraft performance, loads and aeroelasticity, stability and control, control laws, handling qualities, mass properties, etc.) 

• Experience with all phases of the aircraft development lifecycle, from pre-PDR through certification  

• Experience on a Part 25 airplane development program, with strong understanding of certification requirements; Part 25 experienced preferred, Part 23 experience considered 

• Creative, curious, methodical and detail-oriented  

• Comfortable working effectively in a collaborative environment  

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills  

• Strong technical, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to suit the audience  

• Ability to lead across internal teams, external suppliers, contractors, and partner organizations. 

Bonus Qualifications (Desired): 

• Development experience on large transport category aircraft
• Experience in a fast-paced design environment 

• Experience managing external contractors, suppliers, or engineering service providers 

• Experience with wind tunnel testing and/or flight testing