Engineer V-22 Flight Test Instrumentation (Patuxent River, MD)

We’re more than aviation experts, we’re pioneers. We challenge what’s possible. From breaking the sound barrier to advanced tiltrotor systems. Today, Bell is shaping the future of aviation through specialized engineering. And we want you.

We are developing the future of Army Aviation with the Bell Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and the Bell 360 Invictus Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), part of the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) modernization effort. We are also developing the Bell 525 Relentless, Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT), and Bells High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HSVTOL) program, a next generation stop-fold tilt-rotor.

Bell Flight is seeking an experienced Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI) Engineer to support the testing and development of product improvements for USMC and USN V-22 tiltrotor aircraft at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station located at Patuxent River, Maryland. Bring your experience and ideas and help us design and build critical instrumentation solutions across a fleet of test aircraft to quantify a myriad of engineering phenomena including propulsion, structural dynamics, aerodynamics, and more.

Flight Test Instrumentation Engineer

As a FTI Engineer, you will be a vital part of an Integrated Product Team (IPT) by engaging in the organization, planning, and management of test aircraft instrumentation to meet program and customer defined requirements.

You will be working in a team environment to support test operations within established flight test guidelines to achieve safe flight operations. As a member of the FTI team, you will be planning and executing multiple projects in a small team environment. Those projects will include defining requirements, designing Instrumentation systems, facilitating the installation of such systems, supporting calibration and check out, and maintaining and troubleshooting the systems throughout the test program.

You will be able to hone your technical abilities on significant engineering problems, all while gaining experience in leadership and communication.

What you’ll be doing as a Flight Test Instrumentation Engineer

As a FTI Engineer, you will work with test directors, discipline engineers, instrumentation technicians, and test pilots to define system requirements and hardware/software implementation strategies for instrumenting test aircraft to telemeter parameters for real-time data monitoring and collection for post-test analysis.

• Support the flight test team for experimental tiltrotor aircraft, requiring teamwork and collaborative problem solving in a multi-team environment with direct customer contact.

• Develop and execute project plans for installing and upgrading Instrumentation sensors, wiring, and processing hardware, along with associated schedules and metric tracking.

• Analyze and troubleshoot Instrumentation systems and flight test data to ensure accuracy and efficiency in obtaining test data.

• Demonstrate your understanding of flight technology, design engineering, stress and fatigue analysis, aerodynamics analysis, flight test engineering, and other engineering related disciplines to provide optimal Instrumentation support to the flight test team.

• Review and understand all related procedures, processes, and best practices.

• Integrate simulated hardware such as multifunction displays, control loading systems, aircraft instrument & control panels, etc. and generate tactical threat environments using multiple image generation platforms.

• Interface with end users, customers, and subcontractors throughout product development.

• Support new aircraft and technology development as well as proprietary analytical tools and applications.

• Create data interfaces for ethernet, serial and various avionics bus protocols and support throughout the entire software development life cycle from requirements definition to product deployment.

Skills You Bring To this Role

• Minimum 2 years of flight test experience (helicopter, airplane, or vectored thrust aircraft).

• Must have excellent written and oral communications skills and be able to interact well in a team environment to include interpersonal/organizational skills to build/maintain effective relationships with customers, internal/external suppliers, and brief leaders/customers.

• Must be proficient with Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook.

• Must be proficient with AutoCAD, or equivalent for creating, modifying, or updating electrical drawings.

• Must have strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a team-player mindset and possess the ability to prioritize, organize, and track a variety of assignments.

• Must be capable of mastering unique, company-specific Flight Test software for data collection and analytical processes.

• Must have a working knowledge of industry-standard airborne data acquisition, recording, and telemetry system hardware and software, including sensor applications (strain gages, accelerometers, thermocouples, pressure transducers, etc.) and the associated signal conditioning.

What you need to be successful

• We are looking for inquisitive and driven engineers with a passion to innovate.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Math, or a related science discipline is required.

• Advanced degrees will be considered as additional experience.

• Must be able to work overtime as required in the Flight Test environment.

• Must be able to travel up to 20% of the time, as needed, to support short term (up to two months) off-site assignments at other locations.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD SECRET security clearance:
This position requires the use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. The ITAR / EAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e., ‘Green Card Holder’), Political Asylee, or Refugee. Non-U.S. persons selected must meet eligibility requirements for access to export-restricted information.

What we offer you in return

• 80 hours of Personal Time Off (PTO)

• 120 hours Vacation time

• 12-13 paid holidays per year

• 6 weeks parental leave

• Tuition reimbursement

• Competitive salary

• Comprehensive health insurance

• Access to more than 11 Employee Resource Groups

• And so much more

It’s time to make your mark on the future of aviation. Join us on this mission, and let’s make history together.

We are on a journey to amplify innovation, cultivate purpose and bridge experiences by fostering a culture that is driven by unique perspectives, voices and values.

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