Director Flight Test Engineering

Aalto; Rushmoor; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance Bonus

Annual Leave 25 days

Private Healthcare

Pension Contributions

Income Protection

EV & Car Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Perkbox Discounts

Job summary

AALTO, based in Farnborough, is seeking a Director, Flight Test Engineering to own all phases of development testing for a leading aerospace programme. You will lead the Flight Test Engineering team, plan ground and flight tests, and work with stakeholders across engineering, certification, and operations to ensure safe aircraft operation.

The role involves domestic and international flight test campaigns, customer demonstrations, and serving as the Flight Test Post Holder within a Part 21J

Qualifications

• Leadership of technical teams in flight test environments.
• Experience with aviation Regulators and Part 21 organisations.
• Ability to plan and execute ground and flight tests for certification and development.

Responsibilities

• Provide inspirational leadership to the Flight Test Engineering team.
• Oversee planning and delivery of ground and flight test programmes.
• Support domestic and international flight test campaigns and demonstrations.
• Act as Flight Test Post Holder within a Part 21J Design Organisation.
• Ensure safety, compliance and continuous improvement in testing activities.

Skills

Leadership

Aerospace flight test

Regulatory experience

Test planning

International travel

Software/hardware evaluation

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 observation.

AALTO 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 Stratospace.

About The Role

Join 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 operation.

You 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 Organisation.

Responsibilities to include:

• 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 organisations.
• Strong 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:

Performance Bonus
Benefit from our short-term incentive plan, recognising and rewarding individual and company success.

Generous Annual Leave
Enjoy 25 days of annual leave, giving you the time to rest, recharge, and spend time on what matters most.

Private Healthcare
Access private medical insurance, alongside dental and optical cashback schemes, helping you and your family stay healthy.

Pension Contributions
Plan confidently for the future with our competitive personal pension scheme.

Income Protection & Life Assurance
Gain added peace of mind through income protection and life assurance cover, providing support when you need it most.

Electric Vehicle & Car Scheme
Access our salary sacrifice vehicle scheme, offering a cost-effective way to drive the latest cars.

Employee Assistance Programme
Receive confidential professional support whenever you need it through our dedicated employee assistance programme.

Employee Discounts
Enjoy 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, you can register your details here: https://careers.aaltohaps.com/connect