Principal Certification Engineer

Role: Principal Certification Engineer, eVTOL

Location: Dubai South

Working Arrangement: Office Based

Salary: Competitive tax-free salary, relocation package, and comprehensive healthcare cover

Build the certification function from the ground up.

An early-stage aerospace company backed by serious capital is pursuing Type Certification for a distributed-electric vertical takeoff aircraft. This is greenfield. No legacy systems, no inherited compliance baggage, no certification bureaucracy. You are being hired to develop certification plans, establish means of compliance across multiple authorities (GCAA CAR 21, EASA Part 21, FAA), and build the certification function as the team scales.

This is startup energy with sovereign backing. You will carry the technical certification work personally in the near term, then grow into Head of Certification as the team expands. Hands-on technical authority now, leadership platform later. The novel nature of the design—distributed electric propulsion, fly-by-wire controls, high-voltage energy storage—means you will develop means of compliance where no established AMC exists. This is not routine compliance. It is shaping how an entirely new category gets certified.

The Role

You will be Principal Certification Engineer reporting to the Head of Certification. You will develop certification plans and means of compliance across assigned systems and disciplines. You will act as Compliance Verification Engineer where qualified. You will serve as day-to-day technical interface with GCAA, FAA and EASA, driving findings to closure and defending compliance approaches with the authorities. You will establish certification ways of working, standards and templates. You will mentor incoming engineers and progressively assume leadership responsibility for the certification function.

The multi-discipline nature of the role demands breadth. You will work across aircraft systems and integration, software (DO-178C), hardware (DO-254), electric propulsion and energy storage, fly-by-wire architecture, structures, flight test, human factors, and continued airworthiness. Depth in two or three areas is required; literacy across all is non-negotiable.

What We Are Looking For

You have 10+ years in aircraft certification with personal ownership of certification deliverables from plan to closure. Part 21 / CAR 21 experience is essential. You have written certification plans, developed means of compliance, led issue papers to closure, and managed conformity and Type Inspection Authorisation. You understand how to establish a certification basis and develop novel compliance approaches where no AMC exists.

You are strong across multiple disciplines. You work confidently with authorities. You can triage findings across competing schedules and balance compliance risk against programme timeline. You think independently and reason from first principles. You have the ambition and aptitude to grow into a Head-of-Certification role.

eVTOL or powered-lift certification experience is a strong plus. CVE nomination or FAA DER status is valuable. Experience with novel-technology means of compliance, multi-authority working, and team mentoring are all advantages.

Package

Based in Dubai South, full-time. Competitive tax-free salary, relocation package, and comprehensive healthcare cover.

If you have carried certification programmes to Type Cert and want to shape how an entirely new aircraft category gets certified, get in touch.