About This Role
Wisk Aero is seeking a Senior Staff Test Pilot to support the test, evaluation, and certification of a new class of all-electric, autonomous aircraft for urban air mobility. The role is based onsite at the company’s Hollister, California flight-test facility and involves close collaboration with test pilots, flight-test technicians and engineers, systems engineers, and certification specialists. The successful candidate will contribute to safe and efficient certification activities while leading and mentoring other flight-test personnel.
Duties & Responsibilities
- The Senior Staff Test Pilot will author air-vehicle and subsystem test plans, evaluate hazards associated with the method and scope of each test, and establish appropriate mitigations. The pilot will conduct flight testing and safety-chase operations while piloting Wisk’s general-aviation support aircraft, surrogate flying test beds, and uncrewed aircraft systems. Responsibilities also include developing, reviewing, and approving trajectory planning for UAS mission profiles
- reporting test results to the standard required by certification authorities
- and supporting programme documentation such as test restrictions, special test instructions, Aircraft Flight Manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures. The role will work closely with flight-test technicians, flight-test engineers, systems engineers, and the certification group, and will mentor and lead fellow flight testers while demonstrating Wisk’s Safety Management System. Occasional travel to offsite test locations and training facilities is included.
What We Offer
Wisk offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and life insurancenine off Fridays for full-time employees throughout the yearflexible vacation time offeleven company holidaysa 401(k) plan with a 50% company match that vests immediatelycommuter assistanceand education assistance. Additional perks include free catered lunches, flight lessons, wellness allowances, snacks and drinks, an employee referral bonus, a charitable giving match, and a patent bonus programme.
Requirements
- Applicants must have more than 12 years of experience as a test pilot conducting flight testing of fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, or similarly complex aerospace systems. The role requires an FAA Commercial Pilot or ATP certificate for fixed- or rotary-wing aircraft, a minimum FAA Second Class Medical certificate, a Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant engineering or technical discipline, and graduation from an engineering test pilot school or programme. Candidates must have substantial experience with flight and operational safety risk management, the ability to work within an engineering organisation to inform vehicle design, and experience relating engineering data to operational use cases. Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills are required for multidisciplinary collaboration and mentoring. Desired qualifications include 2,500 or more hours of flight experience, including 200 or more hours in flight test
- experience conducting flight programmes supporting FAA, TCCA, or EASA certification
- unmanned-aircraft flight-test experience
- electric-propulsion or high-stored-energy test experience
- both fixed-wing and turbine-engine rotary-wing flight-test experience
- human-to-vehicle interface design, test, and evaluation experience
- formal formation-flight training and subsequent formation-flight experience
- a relevant master’s degree
- and familiarity with MBSE processes.