Chief Engineer

CHIEF ENGINEER | BAY AREA | FULLY ONSITEWe're partnering with the founder of an early-stage electric aviation company developing a personal eVTOL, now moving from successful subscale flight testing into the next phase of full-aircraft development.This isn't simply another engineering leadership hire.The business is looking for someone who wants to become a technical owner of the aircraft itself ... that means: helping turn early flight hardware, test data, engineering specialists and supplier activity into one coherent aircraft programme.What matters most here is not your current title, but what you have genuinely owned.You may already be a Chief Engineer, or you could be a Principal, Staff, Lead, Deputy Chief Engineer or Technical Lead who has developed deep expertise in one area and gradually taken responsibility for wider aircraft-level decisions.If you've reached the point where you're influencing the whole vehicle rather than just your own subsystem, this could be the opportunity to take the next step.The PositionYou'll work directly alongside the founder and an experienced technical advisory network, helping define both the aircraft and the engineering organisation around it.The remit spans the complete vehicle, bringing together specialists across:Flight Sciences / AerodynamicsFlight Controls / GNCPropulsionStructuresElectrical SystemsBattery / Power SystemsSystems IntegrationPrototype Build & Flight TestCertificationYou'll help own the aircraft-level technical baseline, make multidisciplinary trade-offs, turn flight-test evidence into engineering decisions and guide the programme from subscale development towards a full-scale aircraft.This is an early-stage environment, so the role is hands-on by design.You won't be inheriting a 200-person engineering organisation. You'll be close to the aircraft, the design decisions, suppliers, prototype activity and testing while helping build the technical team around you.What We're Looking ForWe're particularly interested in engineers who can demonstrate:Meaningful ownership of an aircraft development programmeClean-sheet or early-stage aircraft developmentMultidisciplinary aircraft-level decision-makingExperience moving from concept/design into prototype, integration or flight testThe ability to challenge specialists outside your deepest disciplineStrong technical judgement when working with incomplete informationComfort operating in a fast-moving, high-ownership environmentRelevant backgrounds could include:eVTOL / VTOL, advanced aircraft, rotorcraft, UAV/UAS, experimental aircraft, electric aviation, autonomous aircraft or other clean-sheet aerospace programmes.Previous Chief Engineer experience is valuable, but it is not mandatory. The emphasis is on technical ownership and evidence that you're ready to take responsibility for the aircraft as a whole.Why This One Is DifferentThis is an opportunity to join early enough to have a genuine influence over:The aircraft architectureHow the engineering organisation is builtHow technical decisions are madeHow prototype and flight-test learning feeds the next aircraftThe long-term direction of the programmeFor the right person, there is significant scope for the remit to grow as the company and aircraft programme develop.Location: Mountain View, CAWorking model: 100% onsiteCandidates must already have the right to work in the US, as the company is unable to provide visa sponsorship.If you've spent your career becoming exceptional within one area of aircraft engineering but increasingly find yourself making decisions across the whole vehicle, I'd be very interested in speaking.