Structural Stress Test & Certification Engineer

Company Overview

At SkyDrive, we are leading a once-in-a-century revolution in mobility by developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Our mission is to make the sky a daily transportation route, bringing safe, sustainable, and quiet urban air mobility to reality. We are looking for an experienced Structural Stress Test & Certification Engineer to join our Structure Group in Nagoya to lead structural testing execution and compliance showing as we advance through critical certification milestones.

Role Overview

As a Structural Stress Test & Certification Engineer, you will be responsible for validating the structural strength, durability, and safety of our eVTOL airframe (composites and metallics) through physical testing and civil aviation compliance showing. You will work closely with structural design, stress analysis, materials & processes (M&P), and civil aviation authorities (JCAB, FAA, EASA) to execute the aerospace Building-Block Approach -from coupon and element testing up to full-scale airframe static and fatigue test rigs.

Key Responsibilities

• Test Plan & Specification Drafting: Author comprehensive structural test plans, test procedures, and test specifications for static, fatigue, damage tolerance, and dynamic/drop testing of primary composite and metallic airframe components.

• Test Execution & Supervision: Design test interfaces and ground support equipment, coordinate rig setups, instrument test articles (strain gauges, DIC, displacement sensors), and supervise physical test execution.

• Test-Analysis Correlation: Analyze test data, perform test-analysis correlation against GFEM/DFEM finite element models and hand calculations, and evaluate Margin of Safety (MoS) under test load conditions.

• Certification & Compliance Showing: Author structural compliance reports, test summary reports, and substantiation dossiers to demonstrate compliance with JCAB, EASA SC-VTOL, and FAA airworthiness requirements.

• Disposition & NCR Support: Provide engineering dispositions for non-conformances (NCRs) and test anomalies, conducting root-cause analysis and implementing engineering change solutions.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate across Structural Design, M&P, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to ensure physical test results feed directly back into baseline structural releases.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Structural Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in aerospace structural stress analysis and physical structural testing (static, fatigue, dynamic, or coupon/component levels).

• Certification Knowledge: Understanding of civil aircraft certification processes (JCAB, FAA Part 23/25/27/29, or EASA SC-VTOL) and aerospace test standards (ASTM, RTCA).

• Technical Software & Methods: Proficiency in classical hand calculations (Bruhn, Niu), FEA tools (NASTRAN/PATRAN, Abaqus, HyperMesh), and data acquisition/analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB, LabVIEW).

• Materials Experience: Hands-on experience with advanced carbon-fiber composite materials (CFRP) and aircraft metallic structures.

• Language: Professional working proficiency in English (primary working language).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with full-scale airframe structural test rigs or complex rotor/motor mount structural testing.

• Knowledge of composite laminate allowables generation, environmental knockdown testing, and BVID (Barely Visible Impact Damage) testing.

• Experience authoring compliance documents for JCAB, FAA, or EASA type certification programs.

• Conversational or business-level Japanese language skills.

Type of Employment

• Permanent Employee or Contract Employee
• Probationary period: 3~6 month

Place of Employment

• Nagoya Airport Office: Nagoya Airport Terminal Building 2nd floor, Toyoba, Toyoyama-Cho, Nishikasugai, Aichi Prefecture
  • There may be domestic and international business trips required due to test-related tasks and other responsibilities.
• Scope of Change: Places determined by the Company (including places where telework is performed)

Working Hours

• Flextime or Discretionary labor system
• Basic working hours: Start 9:00 End 18:00（Including 1hour break time）

Holidays

• 115 days off per year Saturday / Sundays / New year holidays（12/29～1/3） / Company designated holidays）
• Annual paid leave
• Refresh leave (Granted after 1, 3, 4, 5 years of service)

Salary

• Estimated Annual Salary: JPY 6,850,000 - JPY 10,280,000 (To be determined based on skills, experience, and internal alignment)

  • Includes fixed monthly pay and 45 hours/month fixed overtime pay. Additional overtime pay provided if hours exceed fixed limit.

Expenses

• Commuting allowance, business trip allowance, moving allowance, etc.
• Relocation Packages

  *There are some conditions.

Social Insurance

• Health insurance
• Employee pension (according to Japan standards)
• Employment insurance
• Worker’s accident compensation insurance

Scope of Work Change

• Reassignment may occur to any other work.