Senior Maintenance Engineer

Pivotal; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) plan

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Pivotal, a leader in electric aircraft, is seeking an experienced Maintenance Engineer to lead continued airworthiness and fleet reliability initiatives at our Palo Alto HQ. You will shape maintenance programs, publish manuals, and collaborate with Design Engineering to ensure high reliability of propulsion, avionics, and electrical systems.

You will develop troubleshooting procedures, support changes, and participate in regulatory activities to keep the fleet compliant and safe.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Aviation Maintenance, or related field.
• 5+ years in aerospace/aviation maintenance engineering or related.
• Experience developing maintenance programs, technical publications, and instructions for continued airworthiness.
• Experience troubleshooting complex electromechanical, avionics, propulsion, or aircraft systems.
• Experience reviewing engineering drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical documentation.
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and continuous improvement of aircraft maintenance programs, scheduled inspections, maintenance intervals, and continued airworthiness processes.
• Develop, author, validate, and maintain AMM, CMM, RSM, Job Cards, Task Cards, Service Bulletins, and related documentation.
• Partner with Design Engineering to ensure maintainability, reliability, and serviceability of systems and software.
• Develop troubleshooting procedures, fault isolation methodologies, and maintenance best practices for field technicians.
• Support engineering change implementation and ensure maintenance documentation aligns with configurations.
• Participate in certification, audit, and regulatory activities supporting entry-into-service and continued approval.
• Lead fleet-wide investigations of reliability, maintainability, and operational issues affecting availability.
• Perform root cause analysis of propulsion, battery, avionics, flight control, and electrical system failures.
• Develop repair plans, maintenance campaigns, retrofit activities, and return-to-service recommendations.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, and Operations to drive corrective actions and preventive actions.

Skills

Maintenance Engineering

Aviation Maintenance

Technical Writing

Project Management

Analytical Thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree (Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical/Aviation Maintenance)

Tools

Epicor ERP/MRP

Job description

Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly aircraft the world's first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market.

Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal aircraft are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been flying for over 10 years. Last year we announced our next‑generation aircraft, the Helix, which is rapidly progressing toward general release and scalable production in 2026.

Mobility is one of the most highly‑valued areas of modern technology investments. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. If you are ready for adventure, we invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.

Responsibilities:

Maintenance Engineering & Continued Airworthiness

• Lead development and continuous improvement of aircraft maintenance programs, scheduled inspections, maintenance intervals, and continued airworthiness processes.
• Develop, author, validate, and maintain Aircraft Maintenance Manuals (AMM), Component Maintenance Manuals (CMM), Repair Station Manuals (RSM), Job Cards, Task Cards, Service Bulletins, Service Instructions, and associated technical documentation.
• Partner with Design Engineering to ensure aircraft systems, components, and software meet maintainability, reliability, and serviceability requirements.
• Develop troubleshooting procedures, fault isolation methodologies, and maintenance best practices to support field technicians and operators.
• Support engineering change implementation and ensure maintenance documentation remains aligned with released aircraft configurations.
• Participate in certification, audit, and regulatory activities supporting aircraft entry‑into‑service and continued operational approval.

Fleet Reliability & Service Engineering

• Lead fleet-wide investigations of reliability, maintainability, and operational issues affecting aircraft availability.
• Perform root cause analysis of propulsion, battery, avionics, flight control, charging, structural, and electrical system failures.
• Analyze maintenance findings, field reports, flight data, warranty claims, and operational trends to identify reliability improvements and corrective actions.
• Develop repair plans, maintenance campaigns, retrofit activities, and return‑to‑service recommendations.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, and Operations teams to drive corrective and preventive action initiatives.
• Support customer and field operations through direct technical troubleshooting, aircraft recovery efforts, and on‑site engineering assistance when required.

Maintenance Planning & ERP/ MRP Administration

• Develop and maintain maintenance work packages within Epicor ERP/MRP, including job creation, routing, operations, and material planning.
• Support fleet maintenance activities by releasing jobs, coordinating material requirements, and ensuring work packages are execution‑ready.
• Create and manage RMAs, Sales Orders, and other ERP transactions associated with repair, warranty, and customer support activities.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, serialized component tracking, and configuration data to support traceability and operational readiness.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary maintenance engineering interface between Engineering, MRO, Flight Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Customer Support organizations.
• Support development of maintenance training programs, technician qualification materials, and operational best practices.
• Mentor technicians and junior engineers in troubleshooting methodologies, maintenance procedures, technical documentation, and reliability practices.
• Support strategic initiatives related to fleet growth, customer support expansion, reliability improvements, and operational scalability.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aviation Maintenance, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of aerospace, aviation, military, maintenance engineering, reliability engineering, aircraft sustainment, or related experience.
• Strong understanding of scheduled and unscheduled aircraft maintenance practices.
• Experience developing maintenance programs, technical publications, instructions for continued airworthiness, or maintenance procedures.
• Experience troubleshooting complex electromechanical, avionics, propulsion, or aircraft systems.
• Experience reviewing engineering drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical documentation.
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects in a fast‑paced and highly collaborative environment.
• Exceptional analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Certificate.
• Experience supporting eVTOL, electric aircraft, UAV, rotorcraft, military, or OEM aircraft programs.
• Experience developing AMM, CMM, IPC, RSM, ICA, or maintenance training documentation.
• Experience supporting fleet entry‑into‑service activities and customer operations.
• Familiarity with MSG‑3, Reliability‑Centered Maintenance (RCM), and maintenance program development methodologies.
• Experience with Epicor ERP/MRP or similar enterprise resource planning systems.
• Experience creating maintenance jobs, routings, material plans, RMAs, and service‑related transactions within an ERP environment.
• knowledge of FAA Part 23, Part 91, Part 135, Part 145, and continued airworthiness requirements.
• Experience supporting technical publications, service bulletin development, and engineering change implementation.
• Familiarity with lithium‑ion battery systems, electric propulsion systems, avionics, and aircraft networking architectures.

Attributes aligned with Core Values:

• Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily operations, identifying and mitigating risks through assessments and training, encouraging open dialogue on safety concerns, and continuously improving protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
• Puts customers at the center of every action by deeply understanding their challenges, delivering exceptional value, and striving to exceed expectations to support their success as our core purpose.
• Actively seeks and values diverse stakeholder perspectives, builds cross‑functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact‑based communication—committing to shared decisions for the greater good.
• Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes while aligning actions with a clear understanding of success at every level.
• Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical best practices to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
• Fosters a high‑performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support—balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.

$118,000 - $137,000 a year

Location & Eligibility

Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA.

Benefits

Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans.

Equal Opportunity

Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non‑disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.