Chief Engineer - Turbine Powered VTOL aircraft

Mayman Aerospace is YCombinator alumni (2019) and venture-backed aviation startup that created the world's only successful turbine powered Jetpack. Now we are developing our Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) which will be the smallest & fastest, heavy-lift turbine powered VTOL aircraft ever designed. We have active contracts with the Department of Defense (DoD) and we are currently flight testing our fourth full scale prototype called Speeder Micro.

At our company, we foster a relaxed and informal atmosphere with a fast-paced prototype culture that may appear chaotic at times. We strongly believe in nurturing individuality and promoting innovation. To thrive here, a successful candidate should be highly motivated, enterprising, and genuinely enthusiastic. Our collaborative environment values teamwork over ego, emphasizing the importance of being proactive and embracing speed and intellectual risks. Working well under pressure, tackling challenges, and assuming responsibility are essential traits. While days can be long, we prioritize the excitement and fulfillment that come with the work rather than counting hours.

We are currently seeking a Chief Engineer who will be a key leadership role for the entire engineering organization. This person will be responsible for strategically staffing up the team, implementing and iterating on processes to ensure the team is operating as effectively as possible, and is genuinely excited about building a revolutionary platform (and the team behind it) from the ground floor.

What you’ll do:

Partner directly with the CEO and Head of Talent to attract and retain engineers across a wide range of positions (Structures, Controls, Software, Electrical/Avionics, Power/Propulsion, etc.) Developing and executing critical milestones and ensuring deadlines are met Manage progress across all development teams to ensure harmony and efficiency, removing roadblocks as they arise.

Who you are

10+ years in progressive experience of building an aerospace program 3-5+ years in senior leadership roles with personnel and P&L responsibilities Broad understanding across major aircraft systems (Controls/Flight Physics, Structures, Avionics, Propulsion, etc.) with meaningful depth in at least one and the self-awareness in where to hire the others :) Experience leading as both a manager of functional managers and managing without traditional “influence” Ability to effectively project manage complex development timelines with competing timelines and unique constraints Ability to attract top talent across engineering disciplines and measure team+individual performance in a meaningful way Ability to evolve a small organization from its founding team into a robust, diverse collection of teams, each with their own charter yet all working toward the same goal

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience leading a VTOL or experimental aircraft program in a similar capacity Aviation enthusiast, hobbyist, pilot, etc. Mayman Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Mayman Aerospace is governed on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence, and will not be influenced in any manner by race, religion, gender, national origin, color, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Phone Screen - this is a preliminary call with our Head of Talent, who will give a high level overview of the company as well as expectations for the role.

Executive Interview - meet with our Founder & CEO to learn more about short and long term goals of the company and product roadmap. You will also get a deeper dive into the expectations of the role and the team dynamics.

Team & Lead Engineer Interview - Meet with the Lead Engineer and other engineers on the team. This will be a more technical in-depth interview. This can be done during several sessions.

Timing - we are looking to move quickly which means the whole process shouldn’t take more than a few weeks! The interview process is subject to change based on the type of candidates being interviewed and the team’s availability. Let us know if you have any questions.