J

JetZero

Designs blended-wing aircraft for zero-emission flight

Head of Flight Sciences

Full-Time
$210k - $280k+ Equity options
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's, PhD
Long Beach, CA, USA
In Person
Aerospace EngineeringAerodynamics, Flight Dynamics & GNC
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • At least 15 years of experience in flight sciences for transport-category or similarly complex aircraft, including significant leadership responsibility.
  • Demonstrated success building, leading, and developing multidisciplinary technical organizations.
  • Deep expertise in aerodynamics, aircraft performance, and/or stability and control, with sufficient breadth to lead the integrated Flight Sciences function.
  • Strong aircraft-level technical judgment and experience making consequential decisions across competing performance, weight, cost, risk, and schedule objectives.
  • Experience leading technical work through major aircraft development milestones; experience through certification is preferred.
  • Working knowledge of 14 CFR Part 25 requirements affecting aerodynamics, performance, and flight characteristics, including experience engaging with certification authorities.
  • Experience defining and executing integrated analysis, wind tunnel, and flight-test strategies.
  • Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving clean-sheet development environment with incomplete information and evolving requirements.
  • Ability to communicate complex technical issues, alternatives, and recommendations clearly to engineers, executives, regulators, and other stakeholders.
  • Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field.
Responsibilities
  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Flight Sciences organization spanning aerodynamics, aircraft performance, stability and control, and experimental aerodynamics.
  • Establish clear technical ownership, priorities, standards, and ways of working across the organization.
  • Recruit, develop, and mentor technical leaders and engineers, building deep functional expertise and strong aircraft-level judgment.
  • Create a culture of technical rigor, constructive challenge, rapid learning, and accountability for results.
  • Translate program and product objectives into clear Flight Sciences priorities, plans, staffing needs, and execution strategies.
  • Serve as the senior technical authority for the Z4’s aerodynamic, performance, and flight-dynamics characteristics from conceptual sizing through certification.
  • Define and lead the Flight Sciences strategy for 14 CFR Part 25 compliance, including engagement with the FAA on aerodynamics, performance, and stability and control findings.
  • Ensure analysis, modeling, testing, and certification activities form a coherent technical maturation strategy rather than independent workstreams.
  • Identify the highest-risk technical uncertainties early and drive the analysis and testing required to retire them.
  • Represent Flight Sciences in major program, product, and technical reviews, and communicate technical status, risk, and decisions clearly to executive leadership.
  • Lead Flight Sciences participation in aircraft-level trades involving performance, weight, cost, operability, certification, and schedule.
  • Partner with the Product Architect, Flight Controls, Loads, Structures, Propulsion, Systems, Test, and Certification organizations to drive integrated aircraft decisions.
  • Establish the analysis and evidence required to make timely decisions under uncertainty, and ensure assumptions and risks are explicit.
  • Provide clear recommendations at PDR, CDR, flight readiness, and other major program decision gates.
  • Ensure Flight Sciences priorities remain aligned with aircraft-level product requirements and customer value.
  • Set the technical direction for aerodynamic and high-lift development of the blended wing body configuration, including CFD, configuration shaping, optimization, and experimental validation.
  • Establish standards and technical governance for CFD methods, turbulence modeling, meshing, high-performance computing workflows, and aerodynamic databases.
  • Ensure aerodynamic development balances aircraft performance, controllability, structural integration, manufacturability, certification, and program objectives.
  • Guide the team in determining where additional fidelity, analysis, or testing creates value and where it does not.
  • Own the integrity of aircraft performance models and substantiation across takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and landing.
  • Ensure mission performance, payload-range, fuel burn, reserves, field performance, and obstacle-clearance analyses accurately support aircraft design and customer commitments.
  • Partner with Product, Sales, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure externally communicated aircraft performance is technically credible and appropriately substantiated.
  • Own the technical strategy for Z4 flight dynamics, stability, controllability, and handling qualities across the full flight envelope.
  • Direct the development and validation of linear and nonlinear flight-dynamics models.
  • Partner with Flight Controls to establish control authority, control-surface architecture, and control-law requirements appropriate for a blended wing body configuration.
  • Ensure stability-and-control considerations are incorporated early into configuration and aircraft-level design decisions.
  • Define the overall experimental validation strategy for Flight Sciences, including wind tunnel and flight-test campaigns.
  • Ensure test objectives are tied directly to key technical uncertainties, model validation, certification needs, and aircraft decisions.
  • Own the strategy for correlation among CFD, wind tunnel, Pathfinder, Jet1, and eventual Z4 flight-test data.
  • Drive disciplined incorporation of test results into analytical models, design decisions, and technical risk retirement.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with blended wing body or other unconventional aircraft configurations.
  • Experience at a startup or scale-up.
  • Experience with innovative tool development.
  • Experience through a full clean-sheet aircraft development and certification program.
  • Experience leading organizations through significant configuration maturation or technical convergence.
  • Working knowledge of loads, aeroelasticity, flutter, and flight controls, and their interaction with aerodynamic design.
  • Familiarity with multidisciplinary design optimization and high-performance computing environments.
  • Background in experimental aerodynamics and flight-test correlation.
  • Familiarity with airline operations, product requirements, and aircraft economic performance.

About the company

J

JetZero

View
Website

JetZero develops aircraft designed to achieve zero-carbon emissions in commercial aviation by using a Blended Wing Solution. The aircraft blends the fuselage with the wing, eliminating tail surfaces to reduce weight and drag, allowing smaller engines while maintaining the passenger capacity and range of larger planes. The design is 100% compatible with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and capable of using hydrogen as a fuel, with a priority on aerodynamic efficiency and lower operating costs. JetZero aims to fill the mid-market gap by delivering aircraft that burn half the fuel and emit half the CO2 of today’s fleet, making ownership cheaper and accelerating the adoption of new propulsion technology. The team combines aviation expertise with entrepreneurial drive to bring this zero-emissions aircraft to market around 2030.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$543.1M

Headquarters

Long Beach, California

Founded

2020

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 31, 2026 debt financing extends runway for Jet1 and Greensboro buildout.
  • JetZero says Pathfinder completed over 30 flights, de-risking control laws before Jet1.
  • North Carolina support and 14,000 planned hires give JetZero political leverage through the 2030s.

What critics are saying

  • Jet1 first flight slips past Q4 2027 if Scaled Composites misses build milestones.
  • JetZero still needs EXIM approval, certification, and massive Airbus-Boeing scale capital by 2030.
  • A Jet1 failure would kill airline credibility and likely strand the $4.7 billion factory.

What makes JetZero unique

  • August 31, 2026 financing backs JetZero's all-wing Z4, not incremental aircraft tweaks.
  • JetZero's June 2026 Factory1 and Jet1 integrate development, manufacturing, and testing in Greensboro.
  • EXIM's July 20, 2026 letter signals rare federal interest in a blended-wing aircraft program.

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Benefits

  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • 10 paid holidays
  • 401(k)
  • Medical, Dental, Life health insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Equity tax advisory services
  • Supportive work culture

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-3%

2 year growth

2%
ABF Journal
Sep 1st, 2026
JetZero closes $100MM financing facility to advance the Z4 program.

JetZero closes $100MM financing facility to advance the Z4 program. The senior secured term loan led by Pinegrove Partners and Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, accelerates technology maturation and U.S. facility buildout for the all-wing Z4 airplane. JetZero closed a senior secured term loan facility of up to $100 million. The capital extends a run of program milestones for JetZero's all-wing airplane, which is designed for the middle market (~250 passenger capacity for up to 5,000 nautical mile range) that will cut fuel burn and emissions by up to 50% relative to conventional tube-and-wing aircraft at the same passenger capacity. Proceeds will go towards the acceleration of technology maturation, Demonstrator Jet1 manufacturing and buildout of JetZero's U.S. manufacturing and test facilities in Greensboro, NC, along with growth and working capital in support of the company's U.S. operations. "This facility is targeted for pace," Tom O'Leary, founder and CEO of JetZero, said. "Through this facility, we will fund tooling and production facilities in North Carolina, advancing aerospace innovation and reindustrializing America. Not only has the time come to reshape aviation, but the Z4 will lead the way." The Z4 is expected to enter service in the early 2030s. "Adding sophisticated credit providers to our team as investors and stakeholders validates our creditworthiness and informs our funding roadmap," Sergey Kulyagin, chief financial officer and treasurer of JetZero, said. The lender group includes Pinegrove Credit Partners backed by Brookfield and HRTG Partners, alongside Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank. "JetZero is moving from demonstration to production, and that transition is where capital structure matters most," Craig Caukin, partner at Pinegrove, said. "We structured this facility around the program's real milestones. Together with our limited partners, we will be looking to expand the capacity of this facility when the opportunity presents itself."

AVweb
Aug 31st, 2026
JetZero adds $100 million to push all-wing demonstrator toward flight.

JetZero adds $100 million to push all-wing demonstrator toward flight. Funding will support construction of Jet1 and development of the company's planned 250-passenger Z4. Monday, August 31, 2026 at 12:14 PM ET Key takeaways: JetZero announced Monday that it has secured up to $100 million in new financing to advance construction of its full-scale Jet1 demonstrator and related manufacturing work. Jet1 is being built by Scaled Composites in Mojave, California, and will serve as the piloted test aircraft for JetZero's unconventional all-wing configuration. Jet1 toward flight. Ahead of the full-scale demonstrator, JetZero's Pathfinder flight-test program has flown five generations of scaled aircraft across more than 30 flights. The company says the program has been used to develop and validate the configuration and flight-control laws intended for Jet1. Jet1 will support development of the Z4, an aircraft JetZero says will carry about 250 passengers up to 5,000 nautical miles. The company broke ground in June on an 8-million-square-foot manufacturing campus in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it plans to produce the Z4. JetZero claims the all-wing configuration could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 50% compared with conventional tube-and-wing aircraft of similar capacity. Funding the program. The new financing is structured as a borrowing agreement, or "facility," that gives JetZero access to as much as $100 million from Pinegrove Credit Partners and Silicon Valley Bank. Funds from the facility arrangmenet will support Jet1 construction and technology development as well as tooling and production infrastructure at its Greensboro manufacturing campus. "This facility is targeted for pace," JetZero CEO and co-founder Tom O'Leary said in Monday's announcement. "Through this facility, we will fund tooling and production facilities in North Carolina, advancing aerospace innovation and reindustrializing America. Not only has the time come to reshape aviation, but the Z4 will lead the way." JetZero is targeting a first flight of Jet1 in the fourth quarter of 2027 and commercial service for the Z4 in the early 2030s. Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.

Runway Girl Network
Aug 31st, 2026
Press Release: JetZero Closes $100M financing facility to advance Z4.

Press Release: JetZero Closes $100M financing facility to advance Z4. JetZero today announced the closing of a senior secured term loan facility of up to $100 million. The capital extends a run of program milestones for JetZero's all-wing airplane, which is designed for the middle market (~250 passenger capacity for up to 5,000 nautical mile range) that will cut fuel burn and emissions by up to 50% relative to conventional tube-and-wing aircraft at the same passenger capacity. Proceeds will go towards the acceleration of technology maturation, Demonstrator Jet1 manufacturing, and buildout of JetZero's U.S. manufacturing and test facilities in Greensboro, NC, along with growth and working capital in support of the company's U.S. operations. "This facility is targeted for pace," said Tom O'Leary, JetZero CEO and co-founder. "Through this facility, we will fund tooling and production facilities in North Carolina, advancing aerospace innovation and reindustrializing America. Not only has the time come to reshape aviation, but the Z4 will lead the way." The Z4 is expected to enter service in the early 2030s. "Adding sophisticated credit providers to our team as investors and stakeholders validates our creditworthiness and informs our funding roadmap," said Sergey Kulyagin, JetZero CFO and Treasurer. The lender group includes Pinegrove Credit Partners backed by Brookfield and HRTG Partners, alongside Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank. "JetZero is moving from demonstration to production, and that transition is where capital structure matters most," said Craig Caukin, Partner at Pinegrove. "We structured this facility around the program's real milestones. Together with our limited partners, we will be looking to expand the capacity of this facility when the opportunity presents itself." JetZero continues to advance the build of Jet1, its full-scale Demonstrator, with Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman company. The build was 40 percent complete as of June 2026, with its first flight scheduled for 4Q 2027. JetZero broke ground on Factory1, its Z4 production facility in North Carolina, in June 2026. JetZero will hire more than 14,000 people over 10 years in North Carolina to support the Z4. About JetZero JetZero is an American aerospace company developing a new generation of more efficient commercial and defense aircraft. The company partners with leading manufacturers and technology providers to advance the future of flight through innovation and American manufacturing excellence. Featured image credited to JetZero

Citybiz
Aug 31st, 2026
JetZero secures $100 million financing to advance Z4 aircraft program.

JetZero secures $100 million financing to advance Z4 aircraft program. August 31, 2026 JetZero's Greensboro, NC Factory1 will produce the Z4 JetZero has closed a senior secured term loan facility of up to $100 million to accelerate development of its Z4 all-wing aircraft and expand manufacturing operations in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the aerospace company moves toward production of a new commercial airplane designed for the middle of the aviation market. Proceeds from the financing will support technology development, manufacturing of JetZero's full-scale Jet1 demonstrator and construction of U.S. manufacturing and testing facilities. The company will also use the capital for working capital and continued growth of its domestic operations. The lender group includes Pinegrove Credit Partners, backed by Brookfield and HRTG Partners, alongside Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank. JetZero is developing the Z4 as an approximately 250-passenger aircraft capable of flying up to 5,000 nautical miles. Its all-wing configuration is designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by as much as 50% compared with conventional tube-and-wing aircraft carrying the same number of passengers. The company expects the Z4 to enter commercial service in the early 2030s. "This facility is targeted for pace," JetZero CEO and co-founder Tom O'Leary said. "Through this facility, we will fund tooling and production facilities in North Carolina, advancing aerospace innovation and reindustrializing America." The financing adds debt capital to JetZero's funding strategy as the company transitions from aircraft development toward demonstration and manufacturing. For an aerospace program, that stage requires significant capital for tooling, facilities, testing and production infrastructure well before commercial deliveries begin. "Adding sophisticated credit providers to our team as investors and stakeholders validates our creditworthiness and informs our funding roadmap," JetZero CFO and Treasurer Sergey Kulyagin said. Pinegrove Partner Craig Caukin said the financing was structured around specific development milestones as JetZero moves from demonstration toward production. Pinegrove also indicated that the lending group could consider expanding the facility's capacity as the program progresses. A major near-term milestone is Jet1, the company's full-scale demonstrator aircraft. JetZero is building the airplane with Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman company. The Jet1 build was approximately 40% complete as of June 2026, with its first flight scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027. The demonstrator will provide an important step in validating the all-wing architecture as JetZero advances toward development and eventual production of the Z4. The financing will also support the company's substantial manufacturing investment in North Carolina. JetZero broke ground in June 2026 on Factory1, its planned Z4 production facility in Greensboro. The site is expected to become a central part of the company's U.S. manufacturing footprint as the aircraft progresses toward commercial production. JetZero plans to hire more than 14,000 people in North Carolina over 10 years to support the Z4 program, giving the development significant implications for the state's aerospace manufacturing sector in addition to the aircraft market itself. The Z4 is being designed to address the middle market between traditional narrow-body and larger long-range aircraft. JetZero's investment thesis centers on using the aerodynamic efficiency of an all-wing design to substantially reduce fuel requirements without sacrificing passenger capacity or useful range. That efficiency could become increasingly important to airlines as fuel costs and emissions remain major considerations in fleet planning. JetZero is seeking to address those requirements through a fundamentally different airframe architecture rather than incremental modifications to the conventional tube-and-wing configuration used by most commercial aircraft. The new $100 million facility provides additional capital for JetZero to move that concept through one of its most capital-intensive stages: completing a full-scale demonstrator while simultaneously building the manufacturing infrastructure required for a future commercial aircraft program. With Jet1 targeting its first flight in late 2027 and Factory1 now under development in Greensboro, JetZero is moving from design and technology maturation toward physical validation and production readiness ahead of its planned Z4 entry into service in the early 2030s.

FinSMEs
Aug 31st, 2026
JetZero raises up to $100M in debt funding.

JetZero raises up to $100M in debt funding. August 31, 2026 JetZero, a Long Beach, CA-based provider of all-wing commercial and defense aircraft, raised up to $100M in debt funding Backers included Pinegrove Credit Partners alongside Silicon Valley Bank. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate technology maturation, manufacture the Demonstrator Jet1, build out its U.S. manufacturing and test facilities in Greensboro, NC, and support growth and working capital for its U.S. operations. Led by CEO and co-founder Tom O'Leary, JetZero develops an all-wing airplane designed for the middle market (~250 passenger capacity for up to 5,000 nautical mile range) to cut fuel burn and emissions by up to 50% relative to conventional tube-and-wing aircraft. Their platform integrates new blended wing body technology to improve commercial and defense aviation with its flagship Z4 model entering service in the early 2030s. They currently operate U.S. manufacturing and test facilities in Greensboro, NC, and partner with Scaled Composites (a Northrop Grumman company) to construct their full-scale Jet1 demonstrator. Don't just read the news. Own the data. Stop manually tracking deals. Access this round and over 100 others this week - in our structured Master Database (XML) + Weekly Intelligence PDF. [Access FinSMEs Intelligence Hub] 31/08/2026