About Aspera

Most of the world’s goods still move by ships because flying them has always cost too much. We think that’s a solvable problem.

We are reviving the lost art of aircraft design to build the highest performing freighter aircraft on the planet. We want to enable a world where the cost of not flying is greater than the cost of flying and 100% of the world’s cargo moves by the air.

Our first aircraft is a 2,300 kg MTOW, 1,000 kg payload seaplane, cruising at 70 m/s across 2,000+ km stage lengths. The design is inspired by the biomimicry of sharks, whales, and dolphins. We have designed a retractable, hydrofoil-assisted takeoff architecture rather than a stepped hull.

We are a small, technical team that deeply cares about our art and believe in the fact that the cost of flying is an engineering problem.

The Role

We're looking for a flight operations engineer to own how our aircraft gets tested, in the air and on the water. You'll plan and run the campaigns that turn a prototype into data: test planning, procedures, crew, range safety, and the go/no-go call on every test day.

Our seaplane flies in two very different regimes. On the water, the runway moves, sea state is part of the test conditions, and a hydrofoil-assisted takeoff has no precedent we can copy. In the air, we're expanding a flight envelope for a 2,300 kg aircraft that cruises at 70 m/s over 2,000+ km stage lengths. You'll need to be strong in both, and especially good at the handoffs between them: lift-off, transition to flight, approach, touchdown, and recovery.

You'll work directly with the avionics, flight software, structures, and aerodynamics teams. You'll have real authority over test readiness: the ability to say "we're not ready," "this point needs a buildup step first," or "this site or weather window doesn't work."

What You’ll do

Test planning and execution (air and water)

• Plan and run flight test campaigns for fixed-wing aircraft, from subscale demonstrators through our full-scale seaplane, covering ground and water handling, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, landing, and recovery.
• Build test point matrices and buildup plans for envelope expansion: stalls, speed and altitude, CG range, control response, takeoff and landing performance, cruise performance, and range and endurance validation.
• Write and maintain test cards, checklists, SOPs, emergency procedures, and go/no-go criteria covering both flight limits (wind, turbulence, visibility, ceiling, density altitude) and water limits (sea state, swell, water traffic, debris).
• Run the test-readiness review before each phase: configuration, instrumentation, weight and balance, battery/fuel state, crew readiness, and abort options.

In-flight operations and range safety

• Run range safety for both airspace and water: exclusion zones, geofences, abort areas, emergency landing options, and clear authority to stop a test.
• Define and rehearse contingency procedures: loss of link, engine/power loss, control anomalies, aborted takeoff, forced landing or ditching, and rescue.
• Monitor tests in real time using telemetry, onboard video, and chase observation, and make live calls on whether to continue, hold, or abort.
• Coordinate pilots, remote operators, ground control, and safety crews, with defined roles, briefings, and comms protocols.

Water and site operations

• Scout, evaluate, and set up test sites: lakes, reservoirs, bays, and coastal waters, plus the airfields or airstrips used for subsystem and subscale testing where applicable. Assess water depth, debris, access, launch/recovery points, and abort areas.
• Plan marine support: chase and rescue boats, launch and retrieval equipment, trailers and cradles, mooring, tow, and recovery of a disabled aircraft.
• Run pre- and post-flight processes: aircraft inspection, hull and foil checks, seal and waterproofing checks, corrosion control after water exposure, and battery/fuel handling.

Analysis, safety, and compliance

• Run post-flight analysis with the avionics, software, and aerodynamics teams, using flight logs, telemetry, and video to compare actual performance against predictions and decide what the next test point should be.
• Develop risk assessments (FMEA, hazard analyses, safety cases) for each new test phase, and lead the review that decides whether we expand the envelope.
• Investigate incidents and anomalies, write root-cause reports, and close the loop with design changes.
• Manage permissions and compliance: DGCA and airspace approvals, NOTAMs, coordination with port, coast guard, irrigation, and local authorities, and insurance and safety documentation.
• Maintain the data trail: test logs, configuration records, weather and sea-state records, and a searchable archive of every run.

What We’re Looking For

• 2–5 years in flight test, UAS operations, aviation operations, marine operations, or a 2–5 years in flight test, UAS operations, aviation operations, or a closely related field. Experience with fixed-wing aircraft or drones is essential. Experience with seaplanes or marine operations is a strong plus.
• Real flight test experience: you've written test cards, run buildup plans, managed a range, and been in the field when things didn't go to plan.
• A solid grasp of fixed-wing flight dynamics, performance, and handling qualities, enough to work with aerodynamics and controls engineers on stability, envelope expansion, and takeoff and landing performance.
• Working knowledge of aviation safety practices: risk assessment, SMS concepts, hazard analysis, and incident investigation.
• Familiarity with Indian aviation regulation (DGCA, UAS rules, airspace and NOTAM processes), or the ability to learn it fast.
• Comfort around water: boat handling, marine safety, and weather and sea-state reading. You don't have to be a mariner, but you can't be afraid of the water.
• You can read flight logs and telemetry yourself (Mission Planner, QGroundControl, or custom tools), not just receive the summary.
• Strong logistics and organizational skills: you can line up an aircraft, a crew, a boat, a permit, and a weather window on the same morning.
• First-principles thinking. "That's how it's done on a runway" isn't an answer for an aircraft that lifts off on hydrofoils.

How to Apply

If you see yourself a fit for the above role, send us a short email at humans@asperaindustries.com introducing yourself and why you’d be a strong fit for the role.

Include:

• Links to things you’ve worked on (videos and photos go a long way)
• Your resume/portfolio
• Anything else you think we should know

How to stand out?

Focus on your work, not your credentials. Tell us about projects you’ve worked on: why you built them, what problems you ran into, and how you solved them. Spend minimal time on degrees and coursework. We care a lot about what you’ve made and what you’ve learned from it.