Flight Test Program Manager — Aircraft Certification

Joby Aviation Inc; California; On-site; USD 150,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Healthcare benefits

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Disability coverage

Life insurance

Job summary

Joby Aviation Inc. is seeking an Aircraft Technical Project Manager to lead the planning, scheduling, and execution tracking for experimental flight test aircraft.

You will coordinate with Flight Test Operations, Engineering, and Aircraft Management to ensure readiness for developmental and certification test campaigns. The role requires a Bachelor of Science in a technical field, hands-on project management experience, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to travel up to 30%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering or equivalent.
• Experience managing technical projects and coordinating cross-functional teams.
• Strong interpersonal communication across disciplines.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and ownership.
• Proficient with project management tools (MS Project, Smartsheet).
• Able to work independently, in a team, and travel as required.
• English reading and speaking proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and maintains the technical project plan for the experimental aircraft, including maintenance, engineering, and conformity activities.
• Coordinates with Flight Test Operations, Project Flight Test Engineer, and Aircraft Manager to plan tests and ensure aircraft readiness.
• Works with Engineering IPTs to create work instructions and data packages for execution.
• Maintains certification packages with Airworthiness and Certification Engineering for show compliance tests.
• Optimizes the technical schedule by identifying dependencies and deploying resources.
• Reports plans and schedule status to the Program Office and influences strategy.
• Leads regular status reviews with cross-functional stakeholders to surface risks and re-baseline priorities.
• Develops risk registers and contingency plans to protect milestones.
• Re-sequences schedules quickly when NCRs arise, coordinating with Engineering and Maintenance for root-cause actions.
• Drives schedule recovery after downtime and returns to test readiness efficiently.
• Frames key decision points in the schedule where trade-offs are needed and presents options to leadership.
• Determines escalation vs. resolution based on impact to objectives.
• Coordinates with Shipping, Logistics and Aftermarket to plan international and domestic transport of aircraft.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Technical leadership

English proficiency

Team collaboration

Schedule coordination

Education

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical or technical field

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Job description

Joby Aviation Inc. is seeking an Aircraft Technical Project Manager to lead the planning, scheduling, and execution tracking for experimental flight test aircraft.

You will coordinate with Flight Test Operations, Engineering, and Aircraft Management to ensure readiness for developmental and certification test campaigns. The role requires a Bachelor of Science in a technical field, hands-on project management experience, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to travel up to 30%.