Staff / Senior Flight Physics Engineer

Electra•Manassas, VA

6d•$110,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Staff or Senior Flight Physics Engineer, you will support the design, development, analysis, and certification of Electra's hybrid-electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft. This role focuses on aircraft performance, flight physics, and multidisciplinary design analysis, helping ensure our aircraft meets demanding operational and certification requirements. You will work closely with aerodynamics, flight sciences, systems, certification, flight test, and aircraft design teams to analyze aircraft performance across all phases of flight, evaluate certification compliance, and support critical design decisions. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with systems thinking and thrives in a fast-paced startup environment where collaboration, adaptability, and technical ownership are essential.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related engineering discipline
Experience in aircraft performance analysis, flight sciences, aerodynamics, or related aerospace engineering disciplines
Experience with aircraft certification requirements, particularly FAA Part 23 and/or Part 25
Proficiency with Python or MATLAB for engineering analysis and modeling
Experience using version control tools such as Git
Strong understanding of flight vehicle dynamics and aircraft performance, particularly takeoff and landing performance
Experience with vortex lattice method (VLM) and aircraft analysis tools such as AVL, xRotor, or similar
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems engineering skills
Ability to effectively communicate technical findings to multidisciplinary audiences
Experience developing and maintaining clear engineering documentation
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, highly integrated development environment

Nice To Haves

Master's or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline
Experience supporting aircraft development programs from conceptual design through certification
Familiarity with aircraft systems and multidisciplinary aircraft design processes
Experience analyzing novel aircraft configurations, eVTOL, eSTOL, hybrid-electric, or advanced air mobility aircraft
Experience supporting FAA certification efforts and regulatory interactions
Flight test analysis or flight sciences experience
U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder) preferred

Responsibilities

Analyze and evaluate aircraft performance across all phases of flight, including takeoff, landing, climb, cruise, and failure scenarios
Incorporate aerodynamic data from flight testing, wind tunnel testing, and CFD simulations into aircraft performance models and evaluations
Assess aircraft performance against FAA Part 23 certification requirements and support certification activities with regulatory authorities
Conduct sensitivity studies and trade analyses to understand the impact of aircraft design parameters on performance metrics
Develop and maintain performance analysis tools, models, and methodologies using Python or MATLAB
Support aircraft design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, and certification reviews) by presenting analysis results and technical recommendations
Provide performance, risk, and mass-property inputs to multidisciplinary trade studies and program decisions
Define and evaluate aircraft-level requirements, architectures, and interfaces across systems and disciplines
Collaborate with engineering teams to gather, analyze, and interpret data that drives informed design decisions
Support validation of performance predictions through test planning, data analysis, and correlation activities
Document engineering methods, analyses, assumptions, and results with a high degree of technical rigor