Director Flight Test Engineering

Aalto Haps Ltd.; Manor Park; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance Bonus

25 days annual leave

Private Healthcare

Pension Contributions

Income protection & Life Assurance

EV & Car Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Perkbox discounts

Job summary

AALTO in Farnborough, a global leader in Stratospace, seeks a Director, Flight Test Engineering to own all phases of development testing for one of the world's most innovative aerospace programmes. This senior leadership role manages the Flight Test Engineering team and oversees plan, execution and reporting of ground and flight tests, working with engineering, certification, and operations.

You will ensure testing supports development objectives and certification requirements, lead

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of technical teams in aerospace flight test environments.
• Extensive experience in flight test, certification, or developmental testing.
• Experience working with Aviation Regulators and Part 21 governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and technical direction to the Flight Test Engineering team.
• Lead planning and delivery of ground and flight test programmes for certification and development objectives.
• Support domestic and international flight test campaigns and deployments.
• Act as the Flight Test Post Holder within a Part 21J Design Organisation.
• Champion a culture of safety, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Oversee testing to ensure requirements and performance are met.
• Coordinate with stakeholders for test requirements and reporting.

Skills

Flight test leadership

Aerospace flight test

Part 21 knowledge

International travel

Test planning

Stakeholder management

Team mentoring

UAS experience

Safety-critical testing

Job description

AALTO, a global leader in Stratospace. Based in Farnborough, AALTO is an Airbus subsidiary that manufactures, operates, and delivers services with its solar-powered, stratospheric platform: Zephyr.Zephyr's persistence enables continuous flight for months at a time. Its current flight-time record of over 67 days in the stratosphere. From above 60,000+ft, or 20km above ground, AALTO can deliver several applications including direct-to-device connectivity and high-resolution Earth operates in a new operational layer between most of air traffic and low-Earth orbit, Stratospace. This is where high-altitude platforms led by Zephyr deliver services to commercial and government partners. We can help monitor environments, observe borders, track natural disasters and connect unconnected communities.Join us as we create a new domain of aerospace: Stratospace. You'll be part of a highly-skilled, innovative and passionate group of people - Team AALTO. Together, we can Unlock The RoleJoin AALTO as
Director, Flight Test Engineering and take ownership of all phases of development testing for one of the world's most innovative aerospace programmes. This senior leadership role is responsible for managing and mentoring the Flight Test Engineering team while overseeing the planning, execution, and reporting of ground and flight test activities. Working closely with stakeholders across engineering, certification, and operations, you will ensure testing activities support development objectives, certification requirements, and safe aircraft will play a critical role in domestic and international flight test campaigns, customer demonstrations, and operational evaluations while serving as the Flight Test Post Holder within a Part 21J Design to include:

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.

Skills and Knowledge Required

• 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 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.

In addition to a competitive, market-aligned salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and work-life balance:

Benefits

• Performance BonusBenefit from our short-term incentive plan, recognising and rewarding individual and company success.
• Generous Annual LeaveEnjoy 25 days of annual leave, giving you the time to rest, recharge, and spend time on what matters most.
• Private HealthcareAccess private medical insurance, alongside dental and optical cashback schemes, helping you and your family stay healthy.
• Pension ContributionsPlan confidently for the future with our competitive personal pension scheme.
• Income Protection & Life AssuranceGain added peace of mind through income protection and life assurance cover, providing support when you need it most.
• Electric Vehicle & Car SchemeAccess our salary sacrifice vehicle scheme, offering a cost-effective way to drive the latest cars.
• Employee Assistance ProgrammeReceive confidential professional support whenever you need it through our dedicated employee assistance programme.
• Employee DiscountsEnjoy a wide range of discounts and offers through Perkbox, covering everything from shopping and travel to leisure activities and everyday essentials.

This is all part of our commitment to creating an environment where our people can thrive both professionally and personally.

Does this opportunity excite you but you're not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that 'normal' office hours aren't possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can't accommodate every flexible working request, we'll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role? If this role isn't quite what you're looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at AALTO.