Engineering Manager - Flight Control System

Electra•Manassas, VA

4d•$153,000 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

As the Engineering Manager – Flight Control System, you will serve as both the Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead and people manager responsible for development of the Flight Control System (FCS) for the EL9 Ultra Short aircraft. You will inherit an established system architecture and initial requirements baseline and lead your team in finalizing preliminary design, driving detailed design execution, and maturing the system to a certifiable configuration. This role requires deep expertise in systems engineering as well as strong leadership capabilities to build and scale a high-performing team. You will work cross-functionally across systems, avionics, actuation, propulsion, and flight test teams, and play a central role in bringing a novel aircraft configuration through certification.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive complex programs to execution.
Familiarity with industry-standard aerospace development and certification practices (e.g., ARP4754A) applied to complex aircraft systems.
Familiarity with integrated aircraft systems, including actuation, avionics, sensors, and propulsion interfaces.
Prior involvement in aircraft certification programs, including direct engagement with FAA or equivalent authorities.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to balance deep technical involvement with strategic leadership responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading flight controls development for novel or highly integrated aircraft configurations (e.g., STOL, eVTOL, hybrid-electric aircraft).
Experience integrating flight controls with electromechanical actuation systems and power architectures.
Experience with redundant and fault-tolerant control system architectures.
Background in supplier management for flight-critical systems.
Experience building, scaling, and managing high-performing engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, and driving technical excellence and accountability.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end Flight Control System development for the EL9 aircraft, from preliminary design through certification.
Lead development and validation of system integration, ensuring alignment across actuation, avionics, propulsion, and structures.
Define and execute the certification approach, including functional certification plans, safety assessments (FHA, FMEA, FTA), and compliance artifacts.
Build and lead a high-performing flight controls team, providing technical direction while delivering on program cost, schedule, and milestones.
Oversee system integration, verification, and flight test, ensuring the FCS meets performance, safety, and reliability targets at the aircraft level.