# Staff UAS Flight Test Operator - 5793 **Company**: Shield AI **Location**: San Diego, California **Work arrangement**: onsite **Experience**: staff **Job type**: Full Time Employee **Salary**: USD 35.6-54.3 per-hour-wage **Category**: Engineering **Industry**: Technology **Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/3f8fce68-e07f-40af-a64e-1a78dbe98ffc?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_cd264304-a85 ## Description Shield AI is a venture-backed defence-tech organisation with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. The Staff UAS Flight Test Operator leads system-level flight test operations supporting Hivemind Mission Autonomy across small UAS and external platforms. As a member of the Hivemind Product Quality team, this role supports the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) for HivemindSDK by testing pre-release software and verifying its features, capabilities, and operational performance in representative laboratory and flight environments. The operator is responsible for the operational readiness, configuration, and safe operation of multi-rotor and fixed-wing UAS, payloads, ground control systems, and supporting test equipment; plans and conducts single- and multi-aircraft missions; supports fly–fix–fly campaigns; validates autonomy capabilities; identifies defects and usability issues; and provides actionable feedback to improve the quality and customer readiness of each release. ## Responsibilities: - Lead system-level flight test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy across multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and external UAS platforms, including day-to-day fly–fix–fly operations. - Plan and conduct missions in accordance with approved test plans, test cards, configuration requirements, release criteria, and safety procedures. - Operate, configure, inspect, and maintain UAS, payloads, ground control systems, communications equipment, and supporting test infrastructure across laboratory, ground, and flight-test environments. - Test pre-release HivemindSDK versions by verifying features, integrations, autonomy capabilities, and performance against defined product and quality requirements. - Develop and execute representative customer workflows and mission scenarios to assess SDK functionality, usability, reliability, and operational performance across aircraft types and multi-agent configurations. - Document test results, defects, anomalies, regressions, and limitations; provide actionable feedback to product, software, systems, autonomy, and quality teams; and support issue reproduction, triage, and corrective-action verification. - Lead operational risk assessments, crew briefings, ground checks, launch and recovery preparations, and post-flight debriefs while serving in designated leadership roles during test conduct. - Monitor telemetry and system status, collect flight data, evaluate aircraft and autonomy behaviour, and support initial anomaly investigation. - Establish and maintain SOPs, test procedures, checklists, and operational standards; mentor flight test personnel; communicate test status and risks; and drive improvements in safety, efficiency, product quality, and customer readiness. ## Required Qualifications: - 8+ years of experience operating, configuring, and maintaining Group 1/2 UAS platforms in test, military, commercial, or operational environments. - Demonstrated experience leading complex UAS flight operations, including mission planning, test-card execution, crew briefings and debriefings, and real-time coordination in dynamic test environments. - Strong knowledge of COTS UAS hardware, autopilot systems, payloads, ground control stations, communications systems, and supporting test equipment. - Experience assessing operational readiness and maintaining configuration control across aircraft, payloads, software, communications equipment, personnel, and test infrastructure. - Experience developing, implementing, and executing SOPs, checklists, risk assessments, hazard mitigations, and operational processes. - Working knowledge of National Airspace System operations, airspace coordination, flight authorisation requirements, and operational planning for complex UAS missions. - FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate holder ## Preferred Qualifications: - Experience supporting autonomy, AI-enabled systems, or developmental flight test programs, particularly multi-aircraft or distributed UAS operations. - Experience supporting test progression across simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, ground test, and flight test environments. - Hands-on fabrication and integration experience involving mechanical assemblies, electrical systems, wiring harnesses, avionics, payloads, and supporting test equipment. - Proficiency with ArduPilot, PX4, QGroundControl, and Mission Planner, with working knowledge of Linux, IP networking, MAVLink, ROS/ROS 2, or basic scripting. - Military UAS operations or experience supporting DoD developmental testing, operational testing, customer demonstrations, or other formally controlled test programs. ## Additional Information: - Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity - Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment) - Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licences and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. ## Skills ### Required - UAS operations - flight test operations - autopilot systems - payloads - ground control stations - communications systems - test equipment - SOPs - checklists - risk assessments - hazard mitigations - operational processes - National Airspace System operations - airspace coordination - flight authorisation requirements - operational planning ### Nice to have - autonomy - AI-enabled systems - developmental flight test programs - multi-aircraft or distributed UAS operations - simulation - software-in-the-loop - hardware-in-the-loop - ground test - flight test environments - mechanical assemblies - electrical systems - wiring harnesses - avionics - ArduPilot - PX4 - QGroundControl - Mission Planner - Linux - IP networking - MAVLink - ROS/ROS 2 - basic scripting --- Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/3f8fce68-e07f-40af-a64e-1a78dbe98ffc?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)