Flight Test/Trial Director

An Australian defence company is expanding its flight operations team and is now hiring a Flight Test/Trial Director to take ownership of developmental flight testing and trials activity across its aircraft programs. A background in flight test engineering or operational test and evaluation is highly respected for this role and a genuine advantage, but a formal flight test qualification is by no means an absolute must; genuine flight operations and airworthiness credibility matters more than a specific title.

In this role you will act as the senior authority for flight trials, owning the planning, execution and reporting of developmental testing from concept through to completed trial. You will author flight test plans, test cards and test objectives, chair test readiness reviews, and make the go or no go and abort calls during live trial activity. Your scope covers working extensively within ground control station environments monitoring telemetry and aircraft health, interpreting airworthiness and regulatory requirements and translating them into test points, data requirements and acceptance criteria, and developing the operational safety cases that underpin approval to fly. You will also carry a broader leadership remit, working closely with engineering, avionics and production teams and contributing to workforce planning and governance as the trials function grows. This is a senior position for someone who has led flight test or trials activity before and knows how to hold safety rigour and delivery pace in the same hand. It is a fast moving environment where trial schedules shift with program demands, so it suits someone who is comfortable stepping into the field rather than waiting for a fixed routine.

This is a full time, Adelaide based role. The position involves periods of deployment for trial activity with frequency varying depending on program demands. Due to the nature of the work, Australian Citizenship is required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and lead developmental flight trials, including authoring flight test plans, test cards, test objectives and operational procedures.
• Chair test readiness reviews and make go or no go and abort decisions during trial activity.
• Operate within ground control station environments, monitoring telemetry and aircraft health throughout flight operations.
• Interpret airworthiness and regulatory requirements and translate them into test objectives, test points, data requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Analyse flight test data and produce flight test reports, anomaly investigations and airworthiness evidence.
• Develop and maintain operational safety cases and approval frameworks in line with relevant aviation regulations and risk assessment methodology.
• Coordinate closely with engineering, avionics and manufacturing teams across the aircraft development lifecycle.
• Support workforce planning, capability development and governance within the trials team as the department grows.
• Represent the trials function with internal stakeholders and, where required, external customers and regulators.

Requirements:

• Degree in aerospace, aeronautical, mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Several years of experience in flight test, flight operations or operational test and evaluation, with prior experience leading or coordinating a team.
• Demonstrated experience with airworthiness processes, safety case development and engagement with aviation regulators.
• Comfortable working in ground control station environments and interpreting telemetry and aircraft health data.
• Proven ability to lead across the full lifecycle from test planning through to execution, analysis and reporting.
• A seasoned, senior profile comfortable owning trial programs and taking charge of a team while remaining hands-on.
• Strong problem solving, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to lead and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
• Willing and able to travel for extended trial deployments as required by the program schedule.

Desirable but not essential:

• Formal flight test qualification or operational test and evaluation training.
• Military aviation or aerospace engineering background.
• Broader engineering leadership, governance or commercial experience gained in a growing organisation.

Please reach out to [email protected] for more info