Flight Test Engineer

Alta Ares; Blagnac; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Alta Ares is seeking a Flight Test Engineer to plan, execute, and document flight test campaigns for unmanned and guided systems. You will work with Avionics, Software, and Mechanical teams to define instrumentation, analyze data, and drive performance improvements.

The role requires hands-on field work, strong communication, and the ability to coordinate with military test ranges across Europe. Fluent English is essential; French is a plus.

Qualifications

• Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of flight test experience on UAS, fixed-wing, rotary-wing, or guided munitions.
• Proven track record writing test plans and leading test campaigns.
• Solid understanding of flight dynamics, flight control systems, and aircraft performance.
• Strong data analysis skills and telemetry experience.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare, and lead flight test campaigns from prototype to mature configurations.
• Write test plans, test cards, risk assessments, and safety cases.
• Act as test conductor on the range; run pre-flight checks, coordinate the team, and make go/no-go decisions.
• Coordinate with range authorities, airspace regulators, and test centres to secure slots and approvals.
• Define instrumentation and requirements for each test objective; analyze flight data and assess performance against requirements.
• Produce clear test reports and drive root-cause investigations with engineering teams.

Skills

Flight test experience

Data analysis

Telemetry experience

Coordination of test teams

English fluency

French a plus

Education

Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

PX4/ArduPilot

Ground Control Stations

Data logging tools

Job description

About Alta Ares

Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.

Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.

Flight Test Planning & Execution

• Plan, prepare, and lead flight test campaigns for high-performance unmanned aerial systems, from early prototypes to mature configurations

• Write test plans, test cards, risk assessments, and safety cases for each campaign

• Act as test conductor on the range: run pre-flight checks, coordinate the test team, and make go/no-go decisions

• Coordinate with range authorities, airspace regulators, and military test centres to secure test slots and approvals

Data Acquisition & Analysis

• Define instrumentation and requirements for each test objective

• Process and analyse flight data to assess performance, stability, and system behaviour against requirements

• Produce clear test reports, flag anomalies, and drive root-cause investigations with the engineering teams

• Build tools and scripts to automate post-flight analysis and grow a structured test database

Verification, Qualification & Safety

• Build and maintain the test and evaluation strategy, tracing requirements to test evidence

• Support qualification and acceptance campaigns with customers

• Own flight safety processes, incident reporting, and lessons learned

• Help define procedures for operating systems safely in live and operational environments

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Avionics, Software, GNC, Mechanical, and Product teams to shape test objectives and feed results into design iterations

• Support customer demonstrations and military exercises across Europe and beyond

• Contribute to the training of operators and field teams

Requirements

Candidate profile

• Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, or a related field

• 2+ years of flight test experience on UAS, fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, or guided munitions

• Proven track record writing test plans and leading test campaigns in the field

• Solid understanding of flight dynamics, flight control systems, and aircraft performance

• Strong data analysis skills

• Experience with telemetry, ground control stations, and onboard data logging

Skills & Qualities

• Calm, methodical, safety-first mindset under operational pressure

• Strong organisational skills, able to coordinate multidisciplinary teams on the range

• Hands-on and comfortable with field work, hardware troubleshooting, and outdoor conditions

• Clear and concise written and verbal communication

• High integrity, discretion, and understanding of security culture

• Team spirit

• Fluent English; French is a plus

Nice to Have

• Drone pilot certification

• Experience at military test ranges or with DGA or equivalent national test centres

• Experience with live-fire, weapons, or counter-UAS trials

• Former military service, particularly in aviation, air defense, or UAS units

• Familiarity with PX4/ArduPilot, flight log tools, and simulation or HITL environments

• Willingness to travel frequently to test sites across Europe