About Otto Aviation
OTTO is developing the world’s first fifth-generation business jet, designed for sustainability through the innovative use of advanced super-laminar aerodynamics and high-precision, net-shaped composites. Flight tests of our technology demonstrator validate a dramatic reduction in fuel burn and allow a sizeable improvement in cabin comfort. Otto Aviation is designing world-class aircraft from first principles physics and delivering ground-breaking aircraft and economic performance.

 

Role Overview

We are looking for a Sr. Aircraft Performance Engineer to join our Flight Sciences team, to help with the design, simulation, flight testing and certification of our future highly efficient aircraft. In this role you will be responsible for developing methodologies and aircraft performance models (including propulsion, ESPS and thermal aspects) to be the reference source for off board and onboard aircraft performance calculation and flight planning.

The successful candidate has direct hands-on experience developing and testing fixed wing aircraft from initial concept through flight testing and certification, with the technical breadth necessary to interface with all the other engineering functions.  The ideal candidate should also have some Simulink and simulation experience. In this role, the candidate must be a highly motivated, self-starting individual with a broad set of skills and never afraid of facing complex technical challenges.

 

Key Responsibilities

  1. Develop a Computerized Aircraft Performance Program that will serve as the reference for any aircraft performance calculation and eventually, as approved performance data for the certified aircraft.
  2. Develop tools & processes for performance data reduction & expansion and optimization of flight mission planning for safe operations of an autonomous aircraft.
  3. Develop, modify, and run in-house tools, including 6DoF simulation models, to analyze aircraft flight performance during take off, hover, transition, climb, cruise, descent and landing.
  4. Estimate critical performance parameters, such as stall speeds, best rate of climb, climb ceiling, maximum range, noise profiles and energy reserves.
  5. Support the integration of the Computerized Aircraft Performance Program within the aircraft onboard systems framework and within the offboard flight operations and planning tools.
  6. Support the Propulsion group in the definition of the electric motor ratings.
  7. Plan and participate in the flight test campaigns to analyze performance data to support certification, including test scope planning, instrumentation requirements, flight test support and data reduction for the performance models creation and data matching.
  8. Author and review certification documents to show compliance with FAA/EASA certification requirements related to Aircraft Performance.

 

Education and Experience

  1. B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, or another relevant discipline
  2. 5-7+ years of experience doing detailed Performance analysis on fixed wing aircraft
  3. Gained strong knowledge of performance methodologies and associated software development for performance data reduction & expansion tools
  4. Developed test plans based on an understanding of the certification requirements and associated means of compliance for fixed wing aircraft and/or rotorcraft
  5. Excellent understanding of key concepts and equations for aircraft performance analysis
  6. Experience with simulation and flight testing for aircraft performance
  7. Experienced with scripting languages and Simulation tools (e.g. Python, MATLAB)
  8. Previous experience with the various phases of an aircraft development program, from conceptual design through certification and in-service support.

 

Interpersonal Skills

 

  • Active Listening: Practice to gain insight and truly understand all project stakeholders.
  • Critical Thinking: Make prompt, informed and value-based decisions for the project.
  • Organization: Focus on agenda, schedules, frameworks, and methodologies, as well as communicating tasks, updates, progress, and blockers.
  • Problem Solving: Assess issues from different vantage points and formulate the best solution in addressing specific challenges.
  • Self-Motivation: Exude highest level of commitment and motivation to see it through from start to finish.
  • Teamwork and Team Building: Establish a collaborative culture where people with unique personalities and skills happily work together and accountable to shared goal.
  • Strong Business Communication: Use the right language, tone and storytelling techniques when communicating, describing, or explaining issues over email, chat, reports, presentations and other forms and channels of communication.

Physical Requirements 

  • Must be able to stand on feet and walk around for extended periods of time. 
  • Must be able to sit at desk for prolonged periods of time and work on computer. 
  • Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds. 

 

Otto Aviation is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.”

 

 

Apply for this Job

* Required
resume chosen  
Dropbox Google Drive
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
cover_letter chosen  
Dropbox Google Drive
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Otto Aviation’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Please select
Please select
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Please select

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Please select

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Enter the verification code sent to to confirm you are not a robot, then submit your application.

This application was flagged as potential bot traffic. To resubmit your application, turn off any VPNs, clear the browser's cache and cookies, or try another browser. If you still can't submit it, contact our support team through the help center.