Staff UAS Flight Test Operator (AI)

Location: San Diego, California, United States. Workplace: On-site.

Company

Develops Hivemind Mission Autonomy and HivemindSDK solutions for small UAS and external aircraft platforms.

What you will do

• Lead system-level flight test campaigns across multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and external UAS platforms, including fly–fix–fly operations.
• Plan and conduct single- and multi-aircraft missions using approved test plans, test cards, release criteria, and safety procedures.
• Operate, configure, inspect, and maintain UAS, payloads, ground control systems, communications equipment, and test infrastructure.
• Test pre-release HivemindSDK versions, validating features, integrations, autonomy capabilities, usability, reliability, and performance.
• Document defects, anomalies, regressions, and limitations; support issue reproduction, triage, and corrective-action verification.
• Lead risk assessments, crew briefings, ground checks, launch and recovery preparations, post-flight debriefs, and initial anomaly investigations.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience operating, configuring, and maintaining Group 1/2 UAS platforms.
• Experience leading complex UAS flight operations, including mission planning, test-card execution, crew briefings, debriefings, and real-time coordination.
• Knowledge of COTS UAS hardware, autopilot systems, payloads, ground control stations, communications systems, and test equipment.
• Experience with operational readiness, configuration control, SOPs, checklists, risk assessments, hazard mitigation, and operational processes.
• Working knowledge of National Airspace System operations, airspace coordination, and flight authorization requirements.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate required.

Nice to have

• Experience with autonomy, AI-enabled systems, developmental flight testing, or distributed multi-aircraft UAS operations.
• Experience across simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, ground test, and flight test environments.
• Hands-on fabrication and integration experience with mechanical assemblies, electrical systems, wiring harnesses, avionics, and payloads.
• Experience with ArduPilot, PX4, QGroundControl, Mission Planner, Linux, IP networking, MAVLink, ROS/ROS 2, or scripting.
• Military UAS operations or DoD developmental and operational testing experience.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in laboratory, ground, and flight-test environments.
• Collaborate with product, software, systems, autonomy, and quality teams.
• Mentor flight test personnel and establish operational standards, procedures, and checklists.
• Drive improvements in safety, efficiency, product quality, and customer readiness.