{"id":1427238,"url":"https://alion.io/job/cirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal","title":"Engineering Flight Test Pilot Principal","company":{"id":1859244,"name":"Cirrus Aircraft","domain":"cirrusaircraft.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/cirrusaircraft-com","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"iCIMS","truth_index":null},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Duluth, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":170145,"max":255217,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":255217},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-29T00:09:53Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-29","last_verified_at":"2026-10-27T17:44:24Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":28,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":28},"description":"Overview\nThe Flight Test Pilot, Principalis a senior technical role responsible for the strategic planning, execution,and analysis of flight test programs for complex aerospace vehicles andsystems. This position involves high-level coordination, ensuring regulatorycompliance, leading large-scale testing efforts, and contributing to thecontinuous improvement of testing methodologies. As a key technical authority,the Flight Test Pilot Principle plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success ofcritical flight test operations. This role requires expertise inexperimental flight testing to support aircraft development and regulatorycompliance.Responsibilities\nActs as the Platform Lead Flight Test Pilot and provides technical oversight of all platform flight test projects.\nMaintain a high level of pilot proficiency in both jet and propeller aircraft models.\nSafely conduct experimental flight tests for aircraft development and certification projects.\nLeads the planning and execution of multi-faceted flight test programs, including defining objectives, testing requirements, success criteria, and timelines.\nCollaborate with senior management, project teams, and regulatory bodies to ensure test activities align with corporate goals and safety standards.\nServe as the primary pilot authority during test operations, providing technical guidance, monitoring test data, and making in the-moment adjustments to ensure data accuracy and safety.\nAct as a liaison between the Engineering Flight Test team, engineers, and other support teams to facilitate effective communication and decision-making during testing.\nAddress complex technical challenges in real time, utilizing advanced problem-solving skills to adapt and respond to dynamic testing conditions.\nParticipate in test safety review process to ensure tests are conducted safely and appropriate safety mitigations are in place before flight.\nGenerate detailed technical reports that highlight test results, identify variances, and offer actionable insights for design refinement or procedural adjustments.\nDevelop, implement, and continuously improve safety protocols and risk assessment procedures for all test activities.\nCollaborate with safety officers and regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with industry standards and mitigate potential risks.\nFoster a culture of safety and continuous improvement, conducting thorough reviews of test procedures and outcomes to minimize risks.\nProvide training and development opportunities for team members, helping to advance their technical skills and industry knowledge.\nWork with engineering, design, manufacturing, and regulatory teams to align testing requirements and ensure consistency with project objectives.\nAct as a pilot subject matter expert, providing insights and recommendations to cross-functional teams and senior management.\nParticipate in strategic planning discussions to improve test efficiency, data accuracy, and test program success.\nPerform other departmental duties as assigned.\nQualifications\nBachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.\n10+ years experimental flight test experience.\n7 years flight test pilot experience.\nPilot Experience 1500 hours total, 500 hours turbine, 100 hours in the last 12 months.\nPrevious turbojet type rating preferred.\nExperience with FAA/TCCA/EASA Certification programs preferred.\nGraduate of an accredited test pilot school long course or equivalent flight test pilot experience.\nFAA DER/UM/ODA Flight Test Pilot experience preferred.\nKnowledgeable in flight dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion systems, avionics, and aircraft systems.\nComprehensive understanding of industry regulations and standards (e.g., FAA, EASA, MIL-STD) and safety protocols.\nExperience in risk management and mitigation strategies for flight test programs.\nProven leadership skills leading cross-functional test teams.\nExcellent communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.\nAbility to maintain flexibility and a positive attitude and flexibility in dynamic test program environment.\nOur Benefits: Cirrus provides a range of exciting benefits, including:\nComprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options\nEmployer-Paid Coverages: Group term life, short- and long-term disability insurance\nFlexible Spending Accounts: FSA and HSA offerings with company contributions to HSA\nWell-being: Calm Health, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness incentives through medical provider\n 401(k) Plan: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting at 1 year of service\nPTO: Various PTO plans starting at 100 hours accrued within the first year\nAdditional Time off Benefits: Paid holidays, 2 weeks of Paid Parental leave, paid time for funeral leave and jury duty\nCareer Development: Tuition reimbursement program and professional growth opportunities\nExclusive Discounts: Cirrus Store, partner and marketplace discounts available\nCommunity & Engagement: Company and employee clubs at various locations\nThese benefits are designed to support your well-being, growth, and enjoyment at Cirrus!\nOther Duties Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Work beyond 40 hours per week may be required.\nCirrus is dedicated to a drug-free work environment promoting equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, national origin, color, age, disability, religion, pregnancy, veteran status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, receipt of public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.\nPay Range\nSalary Range: USD $170,145.26/Yr. - USD $255,217.88/Yr.Sign On Bonus","description_format":"text","description_chars":6052,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Growth opportunities","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space & Aerospace","Aircraft Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-29T00:09:53Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":20,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.559,"p_room":0.35,"age_days":28,"expected_fill_days":9,"reasons":["conf:1","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":255217,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/cirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/cirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-27T21:25:52Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":12817,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-28T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1859244},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1859244"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fcirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fcirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fcirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/cirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fcirrus-aircraft-engineering-flight-test-pilot-principal"}]}