Director of Test & Evaluation

Role overview Build and lead the test and evaluation organization responsible for demonstrating that autonomous aircraft are safe, reliable, and effective for their intended missions. This hands-on leadership role owns test strategy and execution as a system progresses from simulation and laboratory work through integration, ground testing, flight testing, and operationally representative missions. The director will establish the team, processes, and infrastructure and provide evidence to guide program decisions and customer readiness.

Responsibilities - Recruit and lead a multidisciplinary team spanning test engineering, flight test, test conduct, and analysis. - Establish test processes, tools, infrastructure, technical standards, and readiness practices. - Create an integrated strategy covering simulation, software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing, laboratories, aircraft integration, ground test, and flight test. - Turn customer needs and system requirements into executable test plans, objectives, and measures. - Coordinate test activities with government stakeholders, ranges, suppliers, engineering teams, and airworthiness authorities. - Manage risk, schedule, cost, resources, test progression, anomaly resolution, and reporting.

Requirements - Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical field, with typically 15 or more years of relevant experience. - Track record of building or leading multidisciplinary test teams and establishing engineering processes. - Experience planning and executing integrated test programs for complex aerospace or defense systems. - Extensive background in aircraft integration, ground and flight operations, readiness reviews, and post-test analysis. - Knowledge of system verification across simulation, software- and hardware-in-the-loop, laboratory, ground, and flight environments. - Strong grasp of flight-test safety, airworthiness, configuration management, hazard analysis, and mission assurance. - Ability to balance technical scope, schedule, cost, resources, and risk while communicating with varied stakeholders.

Benefits and work setup - Compensation is listed as $175,000–$230,000, plus bonus and benefits. - Travel is required. U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance are required.