Flight Test Engineer

Alta Ares; Blagnac; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Alta Ares is seeking a Flight Test Planning & Execution specialist to drive campaigns for high-performance UAS and guided munitions. You will write plans, perform risk assessments, and act as test conductor on the range, coordinating with authorities and engineering teams to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient campaigns.

You will define instrumentation, analyze data, and produce clear reports while contributing to test software tools and a structured test database.

Qualifications

• Degree in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering or related field.
• Proven track record writing test plans and leading flight test campaigns.
• Solid understanding of flight dynamics and aircraft performance.
• Experience with telemetry, GCS, and data logging.
• Familiarity with PX4/ArduPilot and HITL/simulation.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare, and lead flight test campaigns for UAS and related systems.
• Write test plans, risk assessments, and safety cases for campaigns.
• Constitute test conduct on the range and coordinate teams.
• Coordinate with range authorities and regulators for approvals.
• Define instrumentation and analysis requirements for tests.
• Process and analyze flight data; produce reports and root-cause analyses.
• Develop tools to automate post-flight analysis and data management.
• Maintain test and evaluation strategy; support qualification campaigns.
• Collaborate with Avionics, Software, GNC, Mechanical, and Product teams.
• Support demonstrations and training of operators; travel across Europe.

Skills

Flight test experience

PX4/ArduPilot familiarity

Data analysis

Telemetry / GCS / data logging

Test planning & risk assessment

Cross-functional collaboration

Fluent English

French language a plus

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Tools

Ground Control Stations

Flight test software

Flight log 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

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

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

• Willingness to travel frequently to test sites across Europe