Head of Flight Test & Validation for Autonomous Aircraft

Samsonrose; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

We are seeking a Head of Flight Test Engineering to guide validation of next‑generation autonomous aircraft operating in real‑world environments. This is a highly visible technical leadership role, shaping flight test strategy, test campaigns, and the automation infrastructure ensuring safe, reliable commercial deployment.

The candidate will lead a world‑class flight test organization, mentor engineers, and contribute hands‑on to testing architecture, safety assessments, and release decisions

Qualifications

• 5+ years designing, developing, validating, or testing autonomous, robotic, or safety-critical systems.
• Experience leading Flight Test, Systems Test, Validation, or Field Test Engineering teams while remaining hands-on.
• Proven track record of leading test campaigns from objective definition through planning, execution, analysis, and release recommendations.
• Strong systems-level understanding across software, embedded, electrical, mechanical, controls, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Define flight test strategy and objectives for next‑gen autonomous aircraft.
• Oversee complex flight test campaigns and data analysis pipelines.
• Lead test architecture, automation, and validation infrastructure for reliable releases.
• Assess safety considerations and regulatory compliance during validation and release decisions.
• Communicate engineering risks and tradeoffs to stakeholders, including leadership and regulators.

Skills

Flight test leadership

Autonomous systems

Test automation

Cross-functional leadership

Safety-critical systems

Job description

We are seeking a Head of Flight Test Engineering to guide validation of next‑generation autonomous aircraft operating in real‑world environments. This is a highly visible technical leadership role, shaping flight test strategy, test campaigns, and the automation infrastructure ensuring safe, reliable commercial deployment.

The candidate will lead a world‑class flight test organization, mentor engineers, and contribute hands‑on to testing architecture, safety assessments, and release decisions