{"id":1477741,"url":"https://alion.io/job/jetzero-head-of-flight-sciences","title":"Head of Flight Sciences","company":{"id":678684,"name":"JetZero","domain":"jetzero.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/jetzero","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":87,"open_postings":15,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.533,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-10T05:45:15Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"head","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Long Beach, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":210000,"max":280000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":280000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":15,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"HPC","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-29T17:50:26Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-29","last_verified_at":"2026-10-11T18:15:27Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":12,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":[],"days_open":11},"description":"What is JetZero? \nToday’s aircraftcontribute around 4%of global CO2 emissions, equivalent to the emissions of 200 million cars. This is only going to increase: Air travel is forecasted to double by 2050, while meaningful efficiency gains using current airplanes have hit a wall. \nJetZerois developing a blended-wing body (BWB) aircraft. It uses up to 50% less fuel and will be builtto accommodate zero-emission hydrogen propulsion. JetZerois the inevitable solution to sustainable air travel. \nThe JetZeroTeam \nWe are experienced aerospace professionals and engineers, excited about the future. That future will only be possible if we share our vision and what it means to people’s lives: carbon-free flight that'isbetter for both passengers and airlines around the world. \nTheHead of Flight Sciences will lead JetZero’s Flight Sciences organization, with responsibility for aerodynamics, aircraft performance, stability and control, loads, and wind tunnel testing for the Z4 blended wing body aircraft.\nThis leader will be accountable for both the technical integrity of the aircraft’s aerodynamic and flight-dynamics characteristics and for building the organization, methods, and decision-making discipline required to mature the Z4 from configuration development through 14 CFR Part 25 certification.\nThe role requires a leader who can set technical direction, develop high-performing teams, drive cross-functional decisions, and create clarity in areas of significant technical uncertainty. The ideal candidate combines deep transport-category flight sciences expertise with demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary engineering organizations on complex or clean-sheet aircraft programs.\nThis role reports directly to the Chief Product Officer and will be based onsite in Long Beach, CA.\nWhat You’ll Do\nLead the Flight Sciences Organization\nBuild, lead, and develop a high-performing Flight Sciences organization spanning aerodynamics, aircraft performance, stability and control, and experimental aerodynamics.\nEstablish clear technical ownership, priorities, standards, and ways of working across the organization.\nRecruit, develop, and mentor technical leaders and engineers, building both deep functional expertise and strong aircraft-level judgment.\nCreate a culture of technical rigor, constructive challenge, rapid learning, and accountability for results.\nTranslate program and product objectives into clear Flight Sciences priorities, plans, staffing needs, and execution strategies.\nOwn Flight Sciences Technical Strategy and Certification\nServe as the senior technical authority for the aerodynamic, performance, and flight-dynamics characteristics of the Z4, from conceptual sizing through certification.\nDefine and lead the Flight Sciences strategy for 14 CFR Part 25 compliance, including engagement with the FAA on aerodynamics, performance, and stability and control findings.\nEnsure analysis, modeling, test, and certification activities form a coherent technical maturation strategy rather than independent workstreams.\nIdentify the highest-risk technical uncertainties early and drive the analysis and testing required to retire them.\nRepresent Flight Sciences in major program, product, and technical reviews and communicate technical status, risk, and decisions clearly to executive leadership.\nDrive Aircraft-Level Decisions\nLead Flight Sciences participation in aircraft-level trades involving performance, weight, cost, operability, certification, and schedule.\nPartner closely with the Product Architect, Flight Controls, Loads, Structures, Propulsion, Systems, Test, and Certification organizations to drive integrated aircraft decisions.\nEstablish the analysis and evidence required to make timely decisions under uncertainty and ensure assumptions and risks are explicit.\nProvide clear recommendations at PDR, CDR, flight readiness, and other major program decision gates.\nEnsure Flight Sciences priorities remain aligned with aircraft-level product requirements and customer value.\nAerodynamics\nSet the technical direction for aerodynamic and high-lift development of the blended wing body configuration, including CFD, configuration shaping, optimization, and experimental validation.\nEstablish standards and technical governance for CFD methods, turbulence modeling, meshing, HPC workflows, and aerodynamic databases.\nEnsure aerodynamic development balances aircraft performance, controllability, structural integration, manufacturability, certification, and program objectives.\nGuide the team in determining where additional fidelity, analysis, or testing creates value-and where it does not.\nAircraft Performance\nOwn the integrity of aircraft performance models and substantiation across takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and landing.\nEnsure mission performance, payload-range, fuel burn, reserves, field performance, and obstacle-clearance analyses accurately support aircraft design and customer commitments.\nPartner with Product, Sales, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure externally communicated aircraft performance is technically credible and appropriately substantiated.\nStability and Control\nOwn the technical strategy for Z4 flight dynamics, stability, controllability, and handling qualities across the full flight envelope.\nDirect the development and validation of linear and nonlinear flight-dynamics models.\nPartner closely with Flight Controls to establish control authority, control-surface architecture, and control-law requirements appropriate for a blended wing body configuration.\nEnsure stability-and-control considerations are incorporated early into configuration and aircraft-level design decisions.\nWind Tunnel and Flight Test\nDefine the overall experimental validation strategy for Flight Sciences, including wind tunnel and flight-test campaigns.\nEnsure test objectives are tied directly to key technical uncertainties, model validation, certification needs, and aircraft decisions.\nOwn the strategy for correlation among CFD, wind tunnel, Pathfinder, Jet1, and eventual Z4 flight-test data.\nDrive disciplined incorporation of test results into analytical models, design decisions, and technical risk retirement.\nWhat You Bring\n15+ years of experience in flight sciences for transport-category or similarly complex aircraft, including significant leadership responsibility.\nDemonstrated success building, leading, and developing multidisciplinary technical organizations.\nDeep expertise in aerodynamics, aircraft performance, and/or stability and control, coupled with sufficient breadth to lead the integrated Flight Sciences function.\nStrong aircraft-level technical judgment and experience making consequential decisions across competing performance, weight, cost, risk, and schedule objectives.\nExperience leading technical work through major aircraft development milestones and preferably through certification.\nWorking knowledge of 14 CFR Part 25 requirements affecting aerodynamics, performance, and flight characteristics, including experience engaging with certification authorities.\nExperience defining and executing integrated analysis, wind tunnel, and flight-test strategies.\nAbility to operate effectively in a fast-moving clean-sheet development environment with incomplete information and evolving requirements.\nProven ability to communicate complex technical issues, alternatives, and recommendations clearly to engineers, executives, regulators, and other stakeholders.\nBachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field.\nPreferred Skills & Experience\nExperience with blended wing body or other unconventional aircraft configurations.\nExperience at a startup or scale-up\nExperience with innovate tool development\nExperience through a full clean-sheet aircraft development and certification program.\nExperience leading organizations through significant configuration maturation or technical convergence.\nWorking knowledge of loads, aeroelasticity, flutter, flight controls, and their interaction with aerodynamic design.\nFamiliarity with multidisciplinary design optimization and high-performance computing environments.\nBackground in experimental aerodynamics and flight-test correlation.\nFamiliarity with airline operations, product requirements, and aircraft economic performance.\nCompensation: \nOur compensation package is a blend of base salary and equity options for eligible employees. The range for this role is $210,000 - $280,000. We consider a number of factors when presenting a final offer, including geography, internal equity and years of experience and expertise. \nBenefits \nGenerous PTO \n12 paid holidays \n401(k) \nMedical, Dental, Vision insurance \nDisability Insurance \nLife Insurance \nEquity tax advisory services \nSupportive work culture \nThe Interview Process \nWe want our interview process to be a true reflection of our culture: transparent and collaborative. Throughout the interview process, your recruiter will guide you through the next steps and ensure you feel prepared every step of the way. \nOur First Chat: During this first conversation, you’ll meet with a recruiter or hiring team member to chat through your background, what you could bring to our team, what you are looking for in your next role, and who we are. \nThe Hiring Manager Interview: You will meet with your potential future boss to really dive into the role, the team, expectations, and what success means at JetZero. This is your chance to really nerd out with someone in your field. \nThe Panel:Learn more about the team, responsibilities, and workflows. You should be prepared to speak about past projects, how you collaborate and communicate with others, and how you live our values. Depending on the team and role you are interviewing for, you may meet with several teammates as well as cross-functional partners. \n The Executive Review: A chance to meet an executive and view JetZero from a different lens. Be prepared to ask well-thought-out questions about the company, culture, and more. \nDepending on the position you are interviewing for, there may also be a Take Home Exercise as part of the interview proccess. Our assessments seek to test the hard skills required to do the job. Your recruiter will inform you of which assessment you will be assigned and ensure you are fully prepared for your big day. \nJetZero does not sponsor visas for US positions unless specified. Only applicants with current work authorization will be considered. \nAt JetZero, we value diversity and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment & do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws, ordinance, or regulation.","description_format":"text","description_chars":10932,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":15,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Internet Services","Domain Registrars & Registries","Brand Protection & Anti-Counterfeiting"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-29T19:15:29Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 2","filings_12m":2,"filings_prev_12m":1,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":122500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-03T21:08:04+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":60,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.597,"p_room":1,"age_days":10,"expected_fill_days":34,"reasons":["conf:1","stale_co","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-10T05:45:15Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":280000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/jetzero-head-of-flight-sciences","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/jetzero-head-of-flight-sciences.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-11T20:10:35Z","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":7731,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-12T00:00:00Z"}},"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":678684},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=678684"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fjetzero-head-of-flight-sciences"},{"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%2Fjetzero-head-of-flight-sciences"},{"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%2Fjetzero-head-of-flight-sciences"},{"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/jetzero-head-of-flight-sciences\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fjetzero-head-of-flight-sciences"}]}