About Odys

Our mission at Odys is simple - we build safe, sustainable aircraft to cut travel time in half on the world's busiest corridors. Our flagship aircraft Alta enables travelers to skip the big-airport hassle by using city helipads and local airports to connect cities less than 1,000 miles apart (approx 40% of flights). And on average cut CO2 by 76% on tens of billions of flight miles globally.

To get there, we start with our UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions. We’re deploying aircraft with launch partners (Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, US Navy) beginning in late 2025 and already have firm orders for aircraft under contract.

We’re a team of expert engineers from deep tech and aerospace that focus on fast iterations loops (completed transition flight faster than our peers) combined with mastery of the aircraft certification process. Previously, our team developed custom drones, brought multiple automotive platforms into production, and electrified transportation vehicles that magnetically levitate, that roll, that fly. Together, we’ve been learning, developing, building, testing, and preparing for this challenge our entire lives.

About The Role

As a Head of Flight Test you will own the technical planning and execution of all flight-test activities for our hybrid-electric cargo UAVs on the path to EASA SAIL 4 design verification. You will define test objectives with design, safety, and airworthiness engineers; specify and integrate instrumentation; author and conduct disciplined test events; and transform results into clear, approvals-ready deliverables. Your leadership will shape the flight envelope, refine control laws, and provide the backbone for our qualification program.

Responsibilities

• Architect the master flight-test program – build phase--by--phase plans, hazard analyses, and success criteria that align with airworthiness and business milestones.

• (Co-)Author flight-test documentation – test plans, cards, TRRs, TCMs, and final reports suitable for EASA, FAA, and internal design reviews.

• Serve as Test Conductor / Flight-Test Director – run pre-briefs and de-briefs, coordinate air/ground crews, manage real-time safety and “knock-it-off” criteria.

• Lead data reduction & analysis – create repeatable pipelines that turn telemetry into performance, loads, and handling-qualities evidence.

• Interface with GNC & avionics teams – close the loop between flight results and flight-control-law/automation updates; support SIL/HIL correlation.

• Drive flight-test safety management – perform risk assessments & run FMEA/FTAs for hazardous test points.

• Coordinate external stakeholders – air-space regulators, test-range operators, datalink spectrum coordinators, and regulators.

• Collaborate closely with the Flight Operations team – align flight-test objectives, logistics, and safety requirements with demonstration programs (e.g., Oman pilot program and other market demos) to ensure seamless hand-off from test to operational flights.

• Mentor junior flight-test engineers – instill disciplined, data-driven test culture across the organization.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or equivalent).

• 5 + years hands-on flight-test engineering with complex aircraft or large UAS, including at least 2 years leading multi-disciplinary test teams.

• Proven track record planning and executing envelope-expansion, control-law evaluation, or certification flight programs.

• Experience with remotely piloted or optionally piloted aircraft ≥ 25 kg / 55 lb, including autonomous or BVLOS operations.

• Strong systems thinking, verbal/written communication, and technical-report writing skills.

• Ability to hold (or already holding) a US or EU security clearance for restricted test ranges is a plus.

Preferred qualifications

• Active pilot license (e.g., FAA PART 107, Part 61 Private/Commercial or EASA PPL/CPL).

• Hands-on with model-based tools (MATLAB/Simulink, System Composer, Flow Engineering) and scripting languages (Python/C++) for data processing.

• Background in fly-by-wire control-law tuning, envelope protection, or failure injection testing.

• Deep knowledge of flight-test instrumentation, telemetry architectures, and data-reduction methods.

• Familiarity with ARP4754A/B, EASA Part 21 Subpart P, and evidence generation for SORA/SAIL or similar risk frameworks.

• Working knowledge of DO-160 environmental testing and DO-178C software assurance as they relate to flight-test substantiation.