Senior Flight Operations Specialist

Chaos1 Pty; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Clearance sponsorship

Mobilised from the start

Job summary

Chaos1 is seeking a mission-first Senior Flight Operations Specialist to join the Flight Operations team within our Mission Operations business line. You will run the flying on the range, fly the most challenging serials yourself, and ensure flight authorisations, risk and currency standards are met by the Chief Remote Pilot.

Expect to operate uncrewed aircraft across multiple platforms in operational environments alongside end-users.

Qualifications

• CASA RePL 25kg Multi-rotor and 7kg Fixed-wing, 4+ years operating uncrewed aircraft professionally.
• Experience preparing flight authorisations and risk assessments under ReOC/Defence regulation.
• Hands-on with aircraft maintenance and pre/post-flight inspections.

Responsibilities

• Run the flying on the range via planning, briefing, flying and debriefing each serial.
• Fly as remote pilot in command on high-experience serials, including first flights of new aircraft and payloads.
• Prepare flight authorisations and risk assessments for Chief Remote Pilot's approval.
• Coordinate airspace and range access with host unit.
• Maintain currency and training records; run check flights as delegated.
• Ensure aircraft, ground control stations and datalinks are serviceable in the field.
• Support test readiness with engineering teams and data capture.
• Own flight safety culture and report incidents.

Skills

RePL (Remote Pilot Licence)

Experience with uncrewed aircraft

Flight authorisations

Risk assessments

Leadership of pilots

Onsite field operations

Security clearance knowledge

Job description

Chaos1 is an Australian defence company with a mission to forge a faster path to warfighter capability. Purpose-driven and mission-first, Chaos1 deploys the people, processes and technologies needed to tackle defence's toughest problems. In a world where time is short and the threats are real, Chaos1 is the catalyst that operates forward to rapidly field warfighter capability in months.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Flight Operations team at Chaos1 flies the uncrewed aircraft behind our counter-uncrewed and autonomous capability work: the threat systems that play the adversary and the platforms under test, on Defence ranges and at allied activities. It operates under Chaos1's Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator's Certificate (ReOC) and Chief Remote Pilot, and under Defence aviation safety regulation on Defence ranges. The team flies aircraft, payloads and profiles that have not been flown before, and keeps it safe.

ABOUT THE JOB

Chaos1 is seeking a mission-first Senior Flight Operations Specialist to join the Flight Operations team within our Mission Operations business line. You will run the flying on the range, fly the difficult serials yourself, and hold the crews to the flight authorisation, risk and currency standards the Chief Remote Pilot sets. You can expect to operate uncrewed aircraft from small multirotor and first-person-view aircraft to larger fixed-wing platforms, in operationally relevant environments alongside the end-user.

This is an opportunity to lead the flying that puts new capability in front of the warfighter, and to fly the first flights yourself.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Run the flying on the range through planning, briefing, flying and debriefing every serial, with the pilots working alongside you
• Fly as remote pilot in command on the serials that need the most experience, including first flights of new aircraft, payloads and profiles
• Prepare flight authorisations and risk assessments for the Chief Remote Pilot's approval, and coordinate airspace and range access with the host unit
• Maintain the team's currency, standards and training records for the Chief Remote Pilot, and run check flights and training as the Chief Remote Pilot delegates
• Keep aircraft, ground control stations and datalinks serviceable in the field, and keep the maintenance and configuration records the ReOC requires
• Bring the aircraft and crews to test readiness with the test and evaluation and engineering teams, including configuration under test and the data each serial has to capture
• Own the flight safety culture on the range. You will report and investigate occurrences and carry the lessons into procedures
• Contribute to Chaos1's flight operations procedures, training material and operations manual as the fleet grows

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• CASA Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) 25kg Multi-rotor and 7kg Fixed-wing and over 4 years operating uncrewed aircraft professionally, with time as the senior remote pilot on a team or site
• Demonstrated flying in Defence, trials or complex operational settings, such as within Defence airspace or beyond visual line of sight
• Experience preparing flight authorisations, risk assessments and job safety analyses under a ReOC or Defence aviation regulation
• Hands-on with aircraft maintenance, configuration control and pre-flight and post-flight inspection of multirotor and fixed-wing aircraft
• Working knowledge of ground control stations, mission planning software and datalinks, and of flight controllers such as PX4 or ArduPilot
• Ability to lead, train and check pilots, and to brief operators, engineers and customers clearly
• Able to work outdoors in field conditions for extended periods, and to lift and carry aircraft and equipment
• Willingness to deploy to Defence sites and ranges for extended periods, including irregular hours in campaign windows
• Australian citizenship and ability to obtain a NV1 security clearance
• Ability to be onsite at Chaos1's XFACTORY, Sydney. This is an onsite and field role.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Aeronautical Radio Operator Certificate (AROC), or a CASA-recognised military equivalent, and experience operating in controlled airspace
• Have previously held BVLOS qualification through the CASA BVLOS theory exam or IREX, and time flying under an operator's BVLOS approval
• Time as a Chief Remote Pilot, Maintenance Controller or instructor under a ReOC
• Experience with Defence aviation safety regulation of uncrewed aircraft trials on Defence ranges
• Experience operating first-person-view or high-performance aircraft as a threat or OPFOR system
• Experience with fixed-wing launch and recovery, including catapult, parachute and belly recovery
• Familiarity with RF, tactical datalinks and operating in contested or GNSS-degraded environments
• Military aviation, aircrew or air battle management background
• Experience building or repairing small uncrewed aircraft
• Time on UAS, counter-UAS or autonomy trials, including live-fire or electronic warfare events
• A current NV1 security clearance or above

SALARY

A salary benchmarked against the Australian defence market, plus above-mandated superannuation and annual salary reviews. Where you sit depends on your experience and the breadth of your skills across the areas listed.

BENEFITS

• Superannuation above the mandated rate.
• 25 days of annual leave every year, a full week more than the standard four weeks.
• Clearance sponsorship. We sponsor your clearance and pay the vetting costs.
• Mobilised from the start. Your equipment, access and role brief are ready before you arrive, and you’ll be part of live work within your first fortnight.

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM RECRUITMENT SCAMS

• Chaos1 never asks candidates for money, bank details or identity documents before an offer, and never asks you to buy equipment or pay for training
• We contact candidates only from @chaos1.au addresses and through our applicant tracking system; check anything else with [e-mail] before you act on it
• Report an approach made fraudulently in Chaos1's name to [e-mail] and to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au

DATA PRIVACY

Chaos1 handles your application under Australian privacy law and our applicant privacy notice. Offers are conditional on pre-employment screening, which may be run by a third-party provider and covers identity, right to work, qualifications and licences, references and a national police check. Clearance sponsorship runs through the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency and requires Australian citizenship. The role involves access to technology controlled under Australian export-control law and, on some programs, US ITAR and EAR, with access limited to authorised persons.