Safety, System and Certification Lead (Aircraft)

Expert Executive Recruiters (EER Global); United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Expert Executive Recruiters (EER Global) seeks a seasoned Engineering Lead to own the aircraft-level architecture on a novel development program. This hands-on role targets someone who has helped bring a clean-sheet or unconventional aircraft to first flight or certification.

You will align aircraft architecture, systems engineering, safety, verification and certification, ensuring the aircraft operates an integrated system with evidence supporting airworthiness.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in aircraft systems engineering or related leadership roles.
• Experience taking a novel aircraft from development toward first flight or certification.
• Proven ownership of aircraft-level architecture across multiple disciplines.
• Hands-on with requirements definition, interfaces, and traceability.
• Deep experience with safety assessment and system safety cases.

Responsibilities

• Own the aircraft-level architecture and system design for a novel aircraft.
• Define and manage requirements, interfaces, and traceability across teams.
• Lead verification, validation, and the evidence for airworthiness.
• Establish the certification basis and means of compliance.
• Direct interaction with regulators and certification authorities.
• Guide subcontractors and build scalable systems engineering processes.

Skills

Aircraft systems engineering

Lead engineer

Requirements definition

Traceability

Verification & Validation

Certification experience

Regulatory engagement

Lean development

Job description

We are looking for a seasoned Engineering Lead / Lead Engineer to take aircraft-level technical ownership within a novel aircraft development program. This is a highly hands-on individual contributor role for someone who has already helped take a clean-sheet, eVTOL, or other unconventional aircraft from development toward first flight or certification.

You will sit at the intersection of aircraft architecture, systems engineering, safety, verification and certification, ensuring that the aircraft works as an integrated system and that the engineering evidence supports its path to airworthiness.

You will initially perform much of the core work yourself while directing specialist subcontractors where appropriate and leading technical engagement with the regulator. As the program grows, there will be an opportunity to build and lead the systems engineering and certification function.

What You'll Own

• Own the aircraft-level architecture and functional and system design of a novel-configuration aircraft.
• Define, manage and maintain aircraft and system requirements, interfaces and traceability across engineering disciplines.
• Ensure consistency across subsystem boundaries and resolve aircraft-level integration issues.
• Lead the verification and validation strategy, ensuring that requirements are supported by appropriate test, analysis and other verification evidence.
• Establish the certification basis and means of compliance for the aircraft, including the MOSAIC path and applicable established airworthiness standards.
• Drive the compliance program and ensure the required engineering evidence is generated, documented and maintained.
• Own the aircraft and system safety assessment process, from top-level functional hazard analysis through the system safety case.
• Establish appropriate development assurance levels and ensure engineering disciplines design accordingly.
• Lead technical interactions with the regulator and other certification stakeholders.
• Direct specialist consultants and subcontractors where additional certification, safety or systems expertise is required.
• Help establish scalable systems engineering, safety and certification processes as the aircraft program matures.

What We're Looking For

• 15+ years of experience in aircraft systems engineering, including hands-on involvement in aircraft development and flight programs.
• Demonstrated experience as a lead engineer taking an eVTOL, clean-sheet or other novel aircraft to first flight and/or through certification.
• Proven ownership of aircraft-level architecture for a clean-sheet or unconventional aircraft design.
• Deep practical experience with requirements definition, interface management, traceability, verification and validation.
• Hands-on experience with the aircraft safety assessment process, from Functional Hazard Assessment (FHA) through the system safety case.
• Strong understanding of aircraft certification and the engineering evidence required to demonstrate compliance.
• Experience working directly with aviation regulators or certification authorities.
• Ability to operate effectively in a lean development environment where senior technical leaders remain closely involved in the engineering work.

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to have genuine aircraft-level ownership rather than responsibility for only one subsystem or work package.

You will influence the architecture, requirements, safety approach, verification strategy and certification path of a novel aircraft while working directly with the engineering disciplines responsible for bringing it to flight.

For an experienced aircraft systems engineer who enjoys solving difficult cross-disciplinary problems and wants to remain technically hands-on, this role offers unusually broad influence over the development of an aircraft from the ground up.