The Head of Flight Test is the technical and organisational leader of the Flight Test function at Vertical Aerospace, reporting to the VP Prototype Programmes and Flight Test. This senior, regulator-visible role is accountable for all flight test activity except pilotage, ensuring technical soundness, proper governance, safety, and alignment with certification objectives. The role defines strategy, structure, and technical integrity, delegating execution to Test Directors and Lead Flight Test Engineers.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Science or related discipline.
Graduate of a recognised Test Pilot School (1-year Experimental / Category 1 course – fixed or rotary wing),or exceptionally, equivalent experimental flight test experience.
Extensive experimental and/or developmental flight test experience.
Strong Experience leading multidisciplinary flight test teams.
Experience in envelope expansion programmes.
Strong understanding of flight test risk management and safety case integration.
Experience operating under Permit to Fly conditions.
Experience within a regulated Design Organisation (Part 21 environment or equivalent).

Nice to have

Graduate of a long-course flight test engineering course from a major test pilot school
Experience with novel aircraft configurations (e.g., tilt-rotor, powered-lift, distributed propulsion, fly-by-wire eVTOL) desirable.
Experience supporting certification flight test program
Experience engaging with aviation regulators.
Telemetry and flight test instrumentation oversight experience.

Benefits

26 days holiday, plus bank holiday
5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)
5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership
Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits
Award-winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)
Company performance based bonus - rewarding company and individual performance
Company Share Scheme - open to every Vertical employee
Company Pension Scheme - 5% and we match it
Breakfast on us, every day