Senior Flight Test Engineer - Aircraft Certification Lead

Fmsaero; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Industry-competitive compensation

Bonus plan

Equity stock-based compensation

Health, vision, and dental insurance

401k with company match

PTO & holiday pay

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

FMS Aerospace in Huntsville seeks a Senior Flight Test Engineer to lead the planning, execution, and analysis of flight test programs for aircraft modification projects involving avionics, systems, and interior changes on certified airframes.

The role requires 10+ years of flight test experience, FAA Class III medical, DoD clearance, and demonstrated leadership to guide cross-functional teams, data analysis, and regulatory activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of direct flight test experience.
• FAA Class III Medical Certificate required.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• U.S. citizenship with ability to obtain DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Test Leadership: plan, execute, and report on flight tests for modification programs.
• Regulatory & Certification: develop bases and plans for FAA/military certification.
• Flight Operations: act as test director and crew member during flights.
• Technical Reporting: prepare findings and substantiation materials.
• Design Review: review engineering designs and changes for compliance.
• Instrumentation Setup: define data acquisition and sampling parameters.
• Program Testing: support baseline, envelope expansion, and development tests.
• Data Analysis: perform data reduction and evaluation of test results.
• Systems Integration: assist with integration and evaluations at sites.
• Documentation: develop AFM/ICA and operating instructions.
• Safety & Risk: apply safety and risk management procedures.
• Weight & Balance: manage test aircraft weight and balance.
• Team Leadership: mentor junior engineers and manage resources.

Skills

Flight test planning

Aircraft performance eval

Systems testing

Data analysis

Regulatory knowledge

Leadership & PM

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Dewesoft

Telemetry systems

Job description

FMS Aerospace in Huntsville seeks a Senior Flight Test Engineer to lead the planning, execution, and analysis of flight test programs for aircraft modification projects involving avionics, systems, and interior changes on certified airframes.

The role requires 10+ years of flight test experience, FAA Class III medical, DoD clearance, and demonstrated leadership to guide cross-functional teams, data analysis, and regulatory activities.