737 Payloads Engineer – Experienced or Senior
Boeing
Director of Flight Test
Merlin Labs
full-time
Posted on:
Origin: • 🇺🇸 United States • Rhode Island
Visit company websiteJob Level
Lead
About the role
- Lead all experimental and prototype flight test activities, from concept through certification.
- Develop and execute test strategies for first flights, envelope expansion, systems validation, and performance testing.
- Oversee creation of flight test plans, safety risk assessments, hazard analyses, and flight readiness reviews.
- Partner closely with engineering teams to validate new designs, avionics, autonomy, propulsion, and control systems under test.
- Direct the work of test pilots, flight test engineers, instrumentation specialists, and ground crews during experimental campaigns.
- Ensure adherence to FAA/EASA/DoD experimental test standards and experimental certificate requirements.
- Manage relationships with regulatory authorities, DERs, and other stakeholders to align test programs with certification objectives.
- Provide leadership in accident/incident prevention, emergency response planning, and operational risk management.
- Present technical and program-level updates to senior leadership, partners, and certification bodies.
- Foster a culture of safety, innovation, and technical excellence within the test organization.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
- 10 + years of aerospace flight test experience, with significant focus on experimental or developmental aircraft programs.
- Demonstrated success managing first-flight and experimental test programs for prototype aircraft.
- Deep knowledge of flight sciences, test instrumentation, telemetry, and data analysis specific to experimental testing.
- Expertise in FAA Part 21, Part 23/25, Part 27/29, or equivalent experimental certification processes.
- Proven leadership of multidisciplinary test teams in high-risk experimental environments.
- Strong technical communication skills, with the ability to brief both technical teams and executive stakeholders.
- Graduate of a recognized test pilot school or experimental flight test engineer program.
- Pilot certification (experimental or test pilot background).
- Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.
