Flight Test Engineer

Saab UK; England; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Saab UK is seeking a Flight Test Engineer to oversee flight operations for unmanned aerial systems. You will bridge engineering and field testing, ensuring safety and compliance throughout the testing lifecycle as a UAV pilot.

The role focuses on test planning, data analysis, and delivering detailed reports to support system development and certification efforts within Saab UK.

Qualifications

• Experience in uncrewed or crewed flight test operations.
• UAV pilot certification with manual and autonomous flight capability.
• Strong ability to analyse complex flight data for engineering feedback.

Responsibilities

• Test planning and safety-aligned flight test procedures.
• Oversee UAV ground checks and pre-flight preparations.
• Lead or support field flight testing to collect telemetry.
• Analyze flight data and compare with design metrics.
• Prepare detailed flight test reports for engineering teams.

Skills

Flight test operations

Telemetry analysis

UAV pilot certification

Job description

Introduction

Saab UK is part of Scandinavia's largest defence company, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. Saab offers world-leading solutions and services in defence, aviation, space, and civil security to keep people and society safe. Our UK presence has been growing at pace, meaning we can offer a wide range of opportunities for personal fulfilment and career growth. We currently employ over 600 people across eight sites in the UK, and our specialisations include software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training.

What you will be part of

Saab is a leading defence and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe.

Empowered by its 28,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world.

Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems.

Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defence capability of several nations.

Saab in the UK is growing rapidly, bringing together Swedish heritage and British expertise to drive innovation in areas such as software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training. Joining Saab in the UK means contributing to the security and resilience of society. Blue Bear is a leading autonomy and unmanned systems company now owned by Saab. Empowered by talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world, designing and manufacturing advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, and underwater systems.

The Role

The Flight Test Engineer will manage the preparation and comprehensive support of flight operations for unmanned aerial vehicles. Bridging the gap between engineering and field testing, this role drives the rigorous evaluation of systems through test planning, flight execution, and deep-dive analysis. Ideally serving as a UAV pilot, the successful candidate will ensure safety and compliance throughout the testing lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Test Planning: Design and author comprehensive flight test plans, risk assessments, and procedures aligned with engineering objectives and safety standards.
• Flight Preparation: Oversee the preparation, ground testing, and final checks of UAV systems prior to flight operations.
• Flight Test Execution: Lead or heavily support active flight testing in the field, operating as a UAV pilot to gather required telemetry and performance data.
• Post Flight Analysis: Download, processing, and analysing flight data to evaluate system performance against design metrics.
• Reporting: Generate detailed flight test reports, presenting technical metrics and actionable insights to engineering teams.

Essential Skills

• Demonstrated experience in uncrewed or crewed flight test operations, test card generation, and telemetry analysis.
• Practical experience and certification as a UAV pilot, capable of manual and autonomous flight operations.
• Strong analytical skills for interpreting complex flight data and translating it into engineering feedback.

Desirable Skills

• Experience or familiarity with Civil and Military Aviation regulatory requirements (CAA, MAA, EASA) and industry standards.

By submitting an application to Saab UK you consent to undertaking workforce screening activities that may include but are not limited to: Baseline Personnel Security checks, National Security Vetting, reference checks, verification of working rights and in all circumstances preferred candidates will be placed through a security interview