Flight Sciences Director

Executive Recruiting Group; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Executive Recruiting Group is seeking an experienced Flight Sciences Director to oversee a large Part 25 aircraft development program. You will lead the Flight Sciences organization, guiding aerodynamics, airplane performance, loads and dynamics, stability and control, control laws, handling qualities, and mass properties to meet schedule, budget, and certification requirements.

You will provide executive engineering leadership, set program priorities, manage risk and cost, coordinate with

Qualifications

• 15+ years in Flight Sciences with deep technical expertise across aerodynamics, loads and dynamics, stability and control, controls laws, handling qualities, and mass properties.
• 5+ years in technical leadership, people leadership, or functional management roles.
• Experience with a Part 25 aircraft development program and certification requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and written/verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead across internal teams, external suppliers, and partner organizations.

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.
• 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.
• Experience on a Part 25 airplane development program; Part 25 experience 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.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Aerospace Engineering or related technical field

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,includingaerodynamics, 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 performanceobjectives.

• Guiderecruiting, staffing plans,andorganizationalgrowthforthe Flight Sciencesteamto 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 todefineregulatory requirements and means of compliancewithinthe Flight Sciences domain.

• Guide the Flight Sciencesteam with strategic planning, scheduling, budgeting, and overallproject management

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

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

• 15+ yearsofexperienceinFlightSciences,andat least5 yearsintechnical leadership, people leadership, or functional management roles

• Proven leadership capability combined with deep technical knowledge

• Deepexpertisein at least one Flight Sciencesdisciplineand broad foundational knowledge across the Flight Sciences domains(aerodynamics,aircraftperformance, loads and aeroelasticity, stability andcontrol,controllaws,handling qualities,mass properties, etc.)

• Experience with all phases oftheaircraftdevelopmentlifecycle,from pre-PDR through certification

• Experienceon aPart 25airplanedevelopment program, with strongunderstanding ofcertificationrequirements;Part25experiencedpreferred, Part23experience considered

• Creative, curious,methodicaland detail-oriented

• Comfortableworking effectively in a collaborative environment

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

• Strong technical, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability totailormessagingto suit the audience

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

Bonus Qualifications (Desired):

• Development experienceon large transport categoryaircraft
• Experience in a fast‐paced design environment