Senior/Principal Engineer, Aircraft Systems Certification
About the role
We are looking for a Senior/Principal Engineer, Aircraft Systems Certification with 8–15+ years of experience to lead all FAA certification activities for Ampaire's Eco Caravan — the world's first hybrid-electric aircraft on track for FAA certification. This is the lead certification role at a 25-person startup, reporting directly to the CTO, where you will own the full scope of technical interactions with the FAA and drive requirements management from top-level down to component level. You'll be at the center of a historic milestone: certifying the first-ever FAA hybrid-electric aircraft, with a $5B+ sales pipeline and a funded path to production behind you. This is not a support role on a large team — this is the person who owns it.
What will you be doing?
- Lead all technical submissions to the FAA — including proposals, test plans, and analytical reports — for both the Part 23 aircraft and Part 33 engine certification projects
- Negotiate and finalize the G1 certification basis and G2 means of compliance documentation with the FAA, driving both to consensus and approval
- Develop, refine, and flow down certification requirements from top-level aircraft requirements to lower-level system and component requirements, working closely with the engineering team
- Evaluate, recommend, and implement requirements management tooling (e.g., DOORS, JAMA, MathWorks, or emerging AI-based tools) to support the certification program going forward
- As workload grows, lead and mentor more junior certification staff or contractors brought on to support the program
