Senior Certification Engineer

Senior Certification Engineer

Wingcopter

Weiterstadt, Germany

Your mission

• Serve as a technical leader and primary regulatory interface, driving certification and production compliance for unmanned aircraft systems across global markets;
• Own conformity, airworthiness, and approval processes from early development through serial production, ensuring alignment with authority requirements;
• Act as the bridge between design, manufacturing, and regulatory teams to deliver certifiable and compliant products;
• Lead engagement with certification authorities (FAA, EASA, JCAB, ANAC), contributing to current programs and shaping future regulatory frameworks for UAS and eVTOL;
• Define certification basis, determine applicable means of compliance, and lead compliance demonstration across hardware, systems, and software domains;
• Support certification schedule planning by identifying technical milestones and aligning compliance efforts with overall program goals;
• Collaborate with the Certification Program Manager to track progress, escalate risks, and ensure technical readiness for regulatory reviews;
• Coordinate and approve conformity inspections, including First Article Inspections and configuration audits, ensuring product compliance with type design and production standards;
• Prepare and validate regulatory documentation (Certification Plans, test programs, compliance matrices, airworthiness substantiation reports) and support approval processes;
• Oversee continued airworthiness deliverables such as TSBs, ESBs, ICAs, and post-certification authority actions;
• Contribute to internal training and guidance to strengthen organizational knowledge in certification and compliance;
• Engage with industry standards bodies (e.g., ASTM, EUROCAE) to align Wingcopter’s roadmap with evolving regulatory and technical standards.

Your profile

• Master’s in Aerospace, Electrical, Avionics Engineering, or related field;
• 10+ years in aircraft certification, airworthiness, or avionics systems (manned aviation background with adaptability to UAS/eVTOL);
• Direct experience with authorities (FAA, EASA, etc.) across design, production, and certification, including inspections and audits;
• Practical knowledge of avionics, comms systems, and C2 links (e.g., SATCOM, LTE), with hardware/software integration and standards like DO-160/178/254;
• Strong grasp of Part 21J/G, TSO/ETSO, and type design change management;
• Familiar with production processes and their certification interfaces (e.g., FAI, config mgmt, deviation handling) and skilled in leading compliance efforts, from plans to final approval packages;
• Experience or interest in standards development (e.g., ASTM, EUROCAE) for emerging aircraft technologies;
• Fluent in English; other languages (e.g., German) a plus;
• Proficient in MS Office, JIRA/Confluence, and ideally aviation tools like Teamcenter.

What you bring as a perfect candidate

• You thrive in collaborative environments and value collective success;
• You approach challenges with a positive mindset and a proactive attitude;
• You believe technology has the power to improve society and drive positive change for the future.