vertical-aerospace - Head of Flight Test

• Flight Test Strategy & Programme Leadership • Define and own the overall flight test strategy across all aircraft programmes. • Establish envelope expansion philosophy and incremental build-up methodology. • Align test objectives with aircraft maturity, system readiness and safety case status. • Approve programme-level test plans and major phase transitions (e.g. First Flight, envelope expansion, certification phases). • Ensure traceability from certification requirements through to test plans, flight execution and reporting. • Ensure flight test outputs are robust, defensible and suitable for certification substantiation. • Governance, Safety & Risk Ownership • Ensure hazards are identified, assessed, mitigated and accepted at the correct organisational level. • Oversee Test Readiness Reviews and major flight test authorisations. • Ensure ALARP justification for medium and high-risk activities. • Act as technical arbiter for non-real-time disputes relating to flight test conduct or progression. • Escalate safety matters to the Head of Design Organisation and executive leadership as required. • Promote and maintain a strong just safety culture within the flight test team. • Operational Oversight • Plan and maintain long-term flight test capability, staffing and facilities. • Ensure adequate telemetry, instrumentation, analysis and support infrastructure. • Approve Flight Test Orders jointly with the Chief Test Pilot (or via delegated authority). • Oversee sortie-level planning through Lead Flight Test Engineers and Test Directors. • Ensure emergency response readiness for all test locations. • Coordinate post-mission data reviews and anomaly resolution. • Regulatory & Airworthiness Interface • Ensure flight test activity remains within DOA Scope of Approval. • Liaise with the Head of Airworthiness on Permit to Fly conditions and limitations. • Ensure harmonisation between Flight Test and Airworthiness procedures. • Represent the flight test function in regulatory engagements, audits and reviews. • Ensure compliance with Part 21 Subpart J and relevant UK CAA guidance. • Data & Technical Integrity • Own the integrity of the flight test data lifecycle. • Ensure configuration control, traceability and data quality standards. • Ensure flight test results are correctly interpreted and not over-claimed. • Ensure results are usable for certification compliance demonstration. • People & Organisational Leadership • Lead and develop the Flight Test Engineering organisation. • Establish qualification and training requirements for non-pilot crew. • Authorise Lead Flight Test Engineers and propose Test Director designations. • Review and document competence of contracted flight test personnel. • Develop succession planning within the flight test team. • Foster disciplined briefings, adherence to knock-off criteria and clear authority boundaries. • Key Deliverables and Objectives: • The Head of Flight Test will be accountable for: • Safely delivering the agreed flight test programme across all active and future aircraft, including envelope expansion and certification test activity. • Achieving planned flight test tempo and milestone progression in support of certification and aircraft maturity targets. • Maintaining an exemplary safety record and robust flight test risk management framework. • Establishing a high-performing, scalable Flight Test organisation with clear ownership of test planning, execution, and data traceability. • Ensuring strong regulatory alignment and delivery of compliant flight test evidence to support certification.