MANAGER - TEST & EVALUATION

Job DetailsLevel: ManagementJob Location: Seattle Engineering Center - SEC - Seattle, WA 98108Position Type: Full TimeEducation Level: 4 Year DegreeSalary Range: $160,000.00 - $220,000.00Job Category: EngineeringAeroTEC’s Engineering Department provides comprehensive, full-service aerospace engineering across the full aircraft development lifecycle — design, analysis, integration, test, and certification. Spanning Structures and Flight Sciences, Design and Stress, Mechanical Systems, Aircraft Systems, Systems Engineering and Certification, Test and Evaluation, and Product Innovation, the Department delivers the technical capability behind AeroTEC’s customer programs and its own products, and is central to the company’s mission to pioneer the future of sustainable aerospace.  The Manager, Test & Evaluation is responsible for the operational, technical, and financial success of AeroTEC’s Test & Evaluation function across all programs, including the supporting Software capability. This includes providing technical leadership and ownership across test planning, instrumentation, flight operations, telemetry, and the software tools and systems that support them, as well as building and sustaining a high-performing, safety-focused organization and managing AeroTEC Flight Test Center resources. The Manager is responsible for the development, maintenance, and consistent application of test and evaluation processes, for managing a team of Group Leads and Engineers, and for overseeing the cost, schedule, and quality performance of Test & Evaluation scope across a portfolio of projects. This role requires the significant exercise of independent discretion and judgment in matters of significance.  Job Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):  Hold formal responsibility for the AeroTEC Test Engineering, Test Instrumentation and Test Pilots Engineering skill codes, together with the in-house Software (SW) capability supporting Test & Evaluation, including the planning, resourcing, technical quality, capability development, and overall cost and schedule performance on the portfolio of programs.  Provide technical and operational leadership across all Test & Evaluation domains for every program and project, including:  Test planning – ensuring deliverables are determined and met, managing interaction with government entities (FAA, JCAB, etc.), and overseeing production of certification test plans.  Instrumentation – review of requirements, hardware and software builds, and production of instrumentation specifications, wire diagrams, FTEO packages, and calibration documentation.  Flight operations – optimizing processes, systems, and procedures to consistently meet in-flight test planning goals and objectives.  Telemetry and dispatch – real-time monitoring, data handling, and coordination of flight test execution.  Software – embedded flight test instrumentation systems, telemetry ground-station software, data acquisition and processing tools, and engineering analysis applications.  Formally organize and manage the Test & Evaluation team to efficiently support multiple concurrent programs, each with multiple aircraft; allocate and schedule all flight test and evaluation resources across programs.  Establish and maintain software development standards, quality assurance processes, and configuration management practices for all flight-critical and ground-support software; collaborate with the Instrumentation and Flight Test teams to ensure software solutions are fit-for-purpose, validated, and delivered on schedule.  Lead planning and execution of capacity expansion and facility improvements at the Moses Lake Flight Test Center.  Identify opportunities to develop and commercialize AeroTEC’s proprietary software tools and test capabilities.  Develop, maintain, and continuously improve AeroTEC’s test, evaluation, and software processes, procedures, templates, and toolsets; implement processes to ensure safety, scalability, and productivity; mentor and support other engineering disciplines in their correct application.  Lead cross-functional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including:  Systems Engineering & Certification – to align test requirements, instrumentation needs, and verification approaches.  Design & Stress and other Design Teams – to ensure modifications and instrumentation installations are correctly defined and substantiated.  Program Management – to integrate Test & Evaluation scope, deliverables, and risks into program plans and customer reporting.  Customers, suppliers, and certification authorities – serving as customer focal for the Test & Evaluation function with technical authority and professionalism.  Manage and support a portfolio of projects from a Test & Evaluation perspective – own the cost and schedule performance of Test & Evaluation and Software scope, applying Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to plan, baseline, measure (BCWS, BCWP, ACWP, CV, SV, CPI, SPI), forecast, and recover work; produce variance analyses and corrective action plans.  Oversee the quality of all test, evaluation, and software work products, ensuring artifacts (test plans, procedures, instrumentation packages, calibration data, software releases, and reports) meet AeroTEC, customer, and regulatory standards prior to release.  Identify the need for, scope, source, and manage the work product of contractors, consultants, and external service suppliers supporting Test & Evaluation activities; ensure their deliverables meet technical, quality, schedule, and budget expectations.  Manage the Test & Evaluation team – Group Leads and Engineers – including:  Day-to-day direction, workload balancing, and ensuring teams are correctly loaded against program needs.  Performance management, including feedback, performance reviews, and recovery plans for under-performance.  Professional development, mentoring, training plans, and succession planning.  Recruiting, onboarding, and retention of talent.  Administrative tasks: shift/coverage scheduling, timesheet review, and approvals.  Act as champion of safety for all Test & Evaluation activities; proactively identify and address safety issues, conduct flight safety investigations, and share lessons learned across the organization.  Identify, communicate, and actively manage technical and programmatic risks within the Test & Evaluation scope; report key metrics, status, and issues to their supervisor, Program Management, and customers as appropriate.  Develop and execute strategic plans for capability growth in Test & Evaluation and Software, including tooling, methods, training, capacity, and cost optimization.  May be required to serve on an occasional basis as a Flight Test Engineer, Test Conductor, or Test Director in the Telemetry Room.  Complete special projects and other duties as assigned by their supervisor.  Knowledge / Skills / Abilities:  Expert knowledge of flight test operations, flight certification, and the full Test & Evaluation lifecycle including test planning, instrumentation, ground operations, and flight operations.  Knowledge of flight test software systems, including data acquisition, telemetry, and engineering analysis tools; familiarity with software development lifecycle practices in a flight-test context.  Knowledge of aircraft development processes and flight certification under FAA / EASA / TCCA frameworks (e.g., 14 CFR Part 23/25/27/29 and associated guidance material).  Proven leadership presence: able to build, motivate, and coach a team to measurable results; moves easily between leading, managing, and doing; instills urgency while remaining patient and objective in difficult situations.  Effective cross-functional collaborator who can influence without authority and align stakeholders behind technical decisions.  Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to troubleshoot, develop defensible conclusions, and act decisively under uncertainty.  Strong communication skills – verbal, written, and presentation – including the ability to publicly represent AeroTEC to customers, suppliers, and certification authorities.  Strong organizational, time management, and prioritization skills; able to maintain focus across multiple programs and hit deadlines in a fast-paced environment.  Computer skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office; experienced with relevant engineering and project management tools. Able to quickly learn new software and systems.  Creative thinker who develops solutions tailored to each customer and project, balancing technical, regulatory, and commercial considerations to maximize value for both the customer and AeroTEC.  High personal standards: professional, self-confident, ethical, and committed to high-quality outcomes.  QualificationsLevel Requirements (Minimum):  Education  Four (4) year degree in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or related). Other Engineering fields may be considered.  Formal Flight Test Training (USAF TPS or equivalent) preferred.  Experience  Minimum ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in aerospace Test & Evaluation, including flight and ground test planning, test conduct, and data analysis.  Minimum three (3) years of experience leading other technical personnel and managing a project to completion, including responsibility for cost, schedule, and quality outcomes.  Proven competence with FAA Part 23 and/or Part 25 certification projects and experience with real-time flight test safety monitoring.  Preferred: experience managing software development teams or software projects in a flight test environment; experience with Earned Value Management on aerospace programs; experience with international customers.  Physical Requirements:  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and/or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms. Must have the ability to sit for long periods of time.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.  Travel (flying and driving) to various domestic and international worksites and client offices is required. Frequent travel to the Moses Lake Facility for extended periods of time during scheduled flight test operations may be required.  This Job Description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the incumbent a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of his/her position. As the nature of business demands change, so may the essential functions of this position.