What are the responsibilities and job description for the Certification Engineer position at Electra.aero?
About Electra
At Electra, we're building the EL9 - a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology unlocks thousands of new operating locations and enables what we call Direct Aviation: quiet, point-to-point regional travel that gets people from where they are to where they want to go, without the congestion of major airports or the noise of conventional aviation.
A global company headquartered in Manassas, VA, Electra is backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran, has filed for FAA Part 23 type certification, and carries 2,000 intent to purchase from operators worldwide. We're a team of ~100 people moving fast toward first EL9 test flights in 2027 and certification by late 2029 or 2030. Every hire matters at this stage - and this role is no exception.
The Role
As our Certification Engineer, you'll own the coordination between engineering functions and the FAA on our path to Part 23 type certification for the EL9. That means developing means of compliance, managing certification data, leading FAA reviews, and ensuring the right compliance approaches are in place across systems, structures, avionics, and propulsion. This is hands-on, high-visibility work - you'll sit at the intersection of engineering, program management, and the regulator, and your output will directly shape whether and when this aircraft certifies.
What You'll Do
At Electra, we're building the EL9 - a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology unlocks thousands of new operating locations and enables what we call Direct Aviation: quiet, point-to-point regional travel that gets people from where they are to where they want to go, without the congestion of major airports or the noise of conventional aviation.
A global company headquartered in Manassas, VA, Electra is backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran, has filed for FAA Part 23 type certification, and carries 2,000 intent to purchase from operators worldwide. We're a team of ~100 people moving fast toward first EL9 test flights in 2027 and certification by late 2029 or 2030. Every hire matters at this stage - and this role is no exception.
The Role
As our Certification Engineer, you'll own the coordination between engineering functions and the FAA on our path to Part 23 type certification for the EL9. That means developing means of compliance, managing certification data, leading FAA reviews, and ensuring the right compliance approaches are in place across systems, structures, avionics, and propulsion. This is hands-on, high-visibility work - you'll sit at the intersection of engineering, program management, and the regulator, and your output will directly shape whether and when this aircraft certifies.
What You'll Do
- Coordinate the development of means and methods of compliance across engineering and product teams
- Author functional certification plans, certification test plans, and test reports
- Lead and participate in reviews with the FAA
- Collaborate with Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs) to develop and validate compliance approaches
- Manage and track certification data in requirements management tools, working closely with Systems Engineering, Program Management, and Product teams
- Interpret and apply FAA regulations - including Part 23 and associated standards and guidance material - to real design and testing decisions
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field
- 3 years of experience on FAA Type Certification projects
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and communicate regulatory implications for design, testing, and analysis
- Experience assigning regulatory requirements to design and compliance documentation
- Working knowledge of Part 23 Performance Based Rules and associated processes
- Experience developing and proposing detailed design standards and compliance approaches to the FAA
- Hands-on experience with requirements management tools (e.g., Jama, Polarion, DOORS)
- Familiarity with relevant aerospace standards such as ASTM F44, DO-178C, DO-254, DO-160G, ARP4754B, and ARP4761A
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable interfacing directly with regulators and senior technical leads
- Experience on novel or clean-sheet aircraft programs - particularly hybrid-electric or unconventional propulsion architectures
- Prior work with the FAA's Emerging Technology division or similar early-stage regulatory engagement
- Familiarity with avionics or propulsion certification pathways under Part 23
- Competitive salary and equity
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
- Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
- Paid winter break
- 401(k) with immediate vesting
- Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
- Free on-site parking