UAS Chief Pilot

SYOS Aerospace; Fareham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SYOS Aerospace is seeking an experienced UAS Chief Pilot to lead flight operations across our UAS platforms in the UK. You will combine hands‑on flying with regulatory compliance, flight safety and RPIC responsibilities, guiding pilots and coordinating with engineering and test teams.

You’ll manage remote pilots, develop safety processes, prepare flight and risk documentation, and ensure safe, compliant operations for flight tests and product development programs. Regular travel is required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 200 hours as RPIC.
• Part 102 or international equivalent.
• Experience leading small teams.
• Strong regulatory knowledge and flight safety focus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage UAS Remote Pilots within the Flight Operations team.
• Coordinate onboarding, training, currency and competency of UAS pilots.
• Support the development of a capable, safety‑focused flight operations team.
• Coordinate flight operations supporting engineering, testing and development activities.
• Act as Remote Pilot in Command across multiple UAS platforms.

Skills

RPIC leadership

Flight operations

Regulatory knowledge

Risk assessment

Crew training

BVLOS knowledge

Flight safety

Documentation

Education

Part 102 or international equivalent

Formal UAS pilot qualification

Job description

Build What Matters

At SYOS, we’re building the next generation of autonomous vehicles across air, land and sea. We combine advanced engineering, intelligent autonomy and innovative design to develop uncrewed systems that operate in some of the world's most challenging environments. Our mission is to extend human capability, protect people and deliver real operational advantage through accessible, scalable and intelligent autonomous technology. We’re growing our UK flight operations team and are looking for an experienced UAS Chief Pilot to play a pivotal role in the development, testing and operation of our uncrewed aircraft. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you’ll lead pilots, oversee flight safety and compliance, operate as Remote Pilot in Command across multiple UAS platforms, and help enable the next generation of autonomous aircraft. Regular travel will be required.

About The Role

As UAS Chief Pilot, you’ll be responsible for supporting and overseeing UAS flight operations across SYOS. Working closely with the Flight Operations Manager, engineering teams and the wider Flight Operations function, you’ll ensure our pilots, aircraft and flight activities are ready to safely support flight test and product development programmes. You’ll combine operational leadership with hands‑on flying, regulatory compliance and flight safety. You’ll operate as Remote Pilot in Command across a range of fixed‑wing and rotary‑wing UAS platforms, while also helping develop the documentation, processes and approvals required to operate safely and compliantly. This is a technically demanding role where your work will directly enable the testing and development of SYOS autonomous aircraft.

Key Responsibilities

Flight Operations & Leadership

• Lead and manage UAS Remote Pilots within the Flight Operations team.
• Coordinate onboarding, training, currency and competency of UAS pilots.
• Support the development of a highly capable, professional and safety-focused flight operations team.
• Assess and approve flight requests from across the business.
• Coordinate and undertake flight operations supporting engineering, testing and development activities.
• Act as Remote Pilot in Command across a range of fixed‑wing and rotary‑wing UAS platforms.
• Ensure flight objectives are achieved safely, efficiently and in accordance with approved procedures.

Flight Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong flight safety culture across SYOS.
• Ensure all flight operations comply with applicable UAS regulations and approved operational procedures.
• Conduct operational risk assessments and implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Enforce flight safety protocols and contribute to the ongoing development of SYOS's Safety Management System.
• Coordinate occurrence investigations and drive appropriate corrective and preventative actions.
• Maintain overall responsibility for aircraft safety and regulatory compliance when acting as RPIC.

Regulatory & Operational Approvals

• Coordinate the development and maintenance of regulatory documentation required for flight operations.
• Support the development of Specific Operations Risk Assessments (SORA) and associated operational documentation.
• Prepare and manage flight plans, test plans, risk assessments, checklists, hazard logs and crew briefings.
• Coordinate airspace permissions, range bookings and other operational requirements.
• Liaise with regulatory authorities, Air Traffic Control, range safety officers and other stakeholders to secure flight authorisations.
• Support the Flight Operations Manager with regulatory approvals and operational planning.

Flight Test & Development

• Work closely with engineering and test teams to support aircraft development and flight test programmes.
• Provide operational input into test planning and flight-test methodology.
• Ensure pilots and flight operations are appropriately briefed and prepared for test activities.
• Contribute to formal flight-test reports and post‑flight analysis.
• Interpret telemetry, flight data and flight logs to support safe and effective operations.

Required

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 200 hours of UAS flight experience as Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC).
• Formal UAS pilot qualification, such as Part 102 or an international equivalent.
• Experience operating within a Part 102 certified organisation or international equivalent.
• Experience leading small, highly skilled teams.
• Strong understanding of UAS regulatory frameworks and operational compliance.
• Proven experience acting as RPIC with responsibility for aircraft safety and legal compliance.
• Strong understanding of both VLOS and BVLOS operations.
• Experience operating fixed‑wing and/or rotary‑wing UAS.
• Experience developing and managing operational documentation, including flight plans, test plans, risk assessments, checklists and crew briefings.
• Strong communication and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively across engineering, operations and other functions.

Nice to Have

• 100+ hours of BVLOS UAS flight experience.
• Experience operating Class 2–3 UAS.
• UAS Flight Radio Telephony Operator Certificate (UAS FRTOC), or equivalent.
• Aviation Language Proficiency certification.
• Experience working within a formal Safety Management System.
• Experience supporting flight-test or aircraft development programmes.
• Current First Aid certification.
• Full driving licence.

Why SYOS?

At SYOS, you won’t just be flying drones. You’ll be helping develop, test and deploy advanced autonomous aircraft alongside engineers, pilots and technology specialists who are building systems for real-world applications. You’ll have the opportunity to fly multiple UAS platforms, influence how we operate, help shape our flight operations capability and directly contribute to the development of the next generation of autonomous systems.

Build it. Test it. Deploy it.

Join SYOS and help shape the future of autonomous flight.