Principal Flight Test Engineer

Location: Farnborough

Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week - Hybrid

Travel: International travel for deployments

AALTO, a global leader in Stratospace. Based in Farnborough, AALTO is an Airbus subsidiary that manufactures, operates, and delivers services with its solar-powered, stratospheric platform: Zephyr.

Zephyr’s persistence enables continuous flight for months at a time. Its current flight-time record of over 67 days in the stratosphere. From above 60,000+ft, or 20km above ground, AALTO can deliver several applications including direct-to-device connectivity and high-resolution Earth observation.

AALTO operates in a new operational layer between most of air traffic and low-Earth orbit, Stratospace. This is where high-altitude platforms led by Zephyr deliver services to commercial and government partners. We can help monitor environments, observe borders, track natural disasters and connect unconnected communities.

Join us as we create a new domain of aerospace: Stratospace. You’ll be part of a highly-skilled, innovative and passionate group of people – Team AALTO. Together, we can Unlock Stratospace.

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced Principal Flight Test Engineer to join the AALTO Flight Test Engineering team. In this role, you will report to the Director of Flight Test Engineering and be involved with all phases of development and certification testing.

You will manage the successful execution of test activities, including gathering test requirements from stakeholders, developing test documentation, conducting reviews, coordinating ground and flight testing, and reporting findings to drive informed decision-making.

Responsibilities to include:

· Support planning, delivery and reporting of flight test campaigns to meet company development and type certification requirements.

· Safe execution and management of ground and flight test activities both in the UK and AALTO sites worldwide.

· Elicit, analyse, and derive requirements from stakeholder needs.

· Manage individual test activities and flight test risk.

· Manage changes with the delivery of impact analysis.

· Verify that the system and sub system requirements are correctly and completely implemented.

· Evaluate system changes, including new and expanded functionality.

· Ensure the system is tested to AALTO development and certification standards.

Skills and Knowledge Required

· Extensive Aviation industry experience.

· Educated to degree level or higher in Engineering, Physics, or equivalent.

· Demonstrable experience as a Flight Test Engineer or Trials officer within a civilian/military flight test organisation.

· Extensive experience and understanding of modern aircraft systems, flight physics and a desire to learn more.

· Experience in working with Aviation Regulators and or Part 21 organisations.

· Excellent computer skills – proficiency with day-to-day applications used for email, word processing etc, as well as data analysis experience using MATLAB or similar.

· Skills understanding and analysing complex data within flight dynamics and performance or systems.

· Must be able to work both independently and in a team and when required to travel overseas and work extended hours.

· Excellent interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with colleagues across a wide range of technical disciplines and seniority.

Desirable skills and experience:

· Knowledge of uncrewed air systems.

· Working within flight test organisations for aircraft under development.

· DO 160 environmental test requirements.

· Evaluation of systems and equipment to DO 178 and 254 requirements.

· Flight Test Engineer graduate from a recognised Test Pilot School.

· Exposure to complex manned/unmanned Flight Test and aircraft certification programmes.

· Experience working with aviation regulators/airworthiness bodies such as the CAA, EASA, FAA or MAA.

· Manned or large unmanned flying experience or Licence.

In addition to an attractive market-aligned salary, we offer:

Rewarding Excellence: Benefit from our short-term incentive plan that rewards your hard work and dedication.

Enjoy Your Time Off: Benefit from 25 days of holiday to relax and recharge.

Stay Healthy: We’ve got your health covered with private medical insurance, along with dental and optical cash back.

Secure Your Future: Take advantage of our personal pension plan to ensure a comfortable retirement.

Peace of Mind: Our income protection and life assurance schemes are there to support you when you need it most.

Getting around: Drive the latest vehicles with our discounted salary sacrifice scheme.

We Care About You: Our employee assistance programme is always available to provide the support you need.

Perks Galore: Enjoy a range of employee discounts via Perkbox, from household goods to travel!

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at AALTO, you can register your details here: https://careers.aaltohaps.com/connect