About This Role
Cirrus Aircraft is seeking a Principal Engineering Flight Test Pilot for an onsite role in Duluth, Minnesota. This senior technical position serves as the Platform Lead Flight Test Pilot and technical authority for complex experimental flight-test programs supporting aircraft development and certification. The pilot will plan and oversee large-scale testing, coordinate with engineering and regulatory stakeholders, lead test-safety activities, evaluate flight-test data, produce technical reports, and provide cross-functional technical leadership. The posting lists 1,500 hours of total flight time, 500 hours of turbine time, and 100 hours flown in the previous 12 months, with an annual salary range of USD $170,145.26 to $255,217.88 plus a comprehensive benefits package.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Serve as the Platform Lead Flight Test Pilot and provide technical oversight of all platform flight-test projects while maintaining a high level of proficiency in both jet and propeller aircraft models.
- Safely conduct experimental flight tests for aircraft development and certification projects, and lead the planning and execution of multi-faceted test programs by defining objectives, testing requirements, success criteria, and timelines.
- Coordinate with senior management, project teams, engineers, designers, manufacturing personnel, regulatory bodies, and support teams so that testing aligns with corporate goals, safety standards, and project objectives.
- Act as the primary pilot authority during test operations by providing technical guidance, monitoring test data, making real-time adjustments for safety and data accuracy, resolving complex technical challenges, and supporting communication and decision-making.
- Participate in test-safety reviews and develop, implement, and continuously improve safety protocols, risk assessments, and mitigations in collaboration with safety officers and regulatory agencies.
- Prepare detailed technical reports covering test results and variances and recommending design refinements or procedural adjustments.
- Foster safety and continuous improvement through reviews of test procedures and outcomes, provide training and development opportunities for team members, serve as a pilot subject-matter expert for cross-functional teams and senior management, participate in strategic planning to improve test efficiency, data accuracy, and program success, and perform other departmental duties as assigned.
What We Offer
Cirrus provides medical, vision, and dental coverage with dependent coverage optionsemployer-paid group term life insurance and short- and long-term disability insuranceFSA and HSA offerings with company contributions to an HSACalm Health, an Employee Assistance Program, and wellness incentives through the medical providerand a 401(k) plan with a dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days and 100% vesting after one year of service. PTO plans start at 100 hours accrued within the first year. Additional paid time off includes holidays, two weeks of paid parental leave, funeral leave, and jury-duty leave. The package also includes tuition reimbursement, professional-growth opportunities, Cirrus Store, partner, and marketplace discounts, and company and employee clubs at various locations.
Requirements
- The qualifications include a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field
- 10+ years of experimental flight-test experience
- and 7 years of flight-test-pilot experience. The posting lists 1,500 hours of total flight time, 500 hours of turbine time, and 100 hours in the last 12 months
- a previous turbojet type rating is preferred. It also prefers experience with FAA, TCCA, and EASA certification programs and FAA DER/UM/ODA Flight Test Pilot experience. Candidates should be graduates of an accredited long-course test-pilot school or have equivalent flight-test-pilot experience. The role requires knowledge of flight dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion systems, avionics, aircraft systems, industry regulations and standards including FAA, EASA, and MIL-STD requirements, as well as safety protocols, risk management, and mitigation strategies for flight-test programs. The qualifications also call for proven leadership of cross-functional test teams, excellent communication skills for presenting complex findings to technical and non-technical audiences, and flexibility and a positive attitude in a dynamic test-program environment.