UAV Flight Test Engineer | Pilot & Data Analyst

Saab UK; Bedford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Pension 8% company contribution

Private medical insurance

Death in service insurance

Up to 5% share matching scheme

Maternity/Adoption & Paternity leave

Job summary

Saab UK in Bedford is seeking a Flight Test Engineer to manage preparation and support of UAV flight operations. You will bridge engineering and field testing, driving rigorous evaluation of systems through test planning, flight execution, and data analysis.

Ideal candidates will have hands-on UAV piloting, experience with telemetry and post-flight reporting, and familiarity with UK regulatory requirements (CAA/MAA/EASA).

Qualifications

• Experience in uncrewed or crewed flight test operations.
• UAV pilot certification with manual and autonomous flight capability.
• Strong data analysis and interpretation of flight telemetry.
• Familiarity with Civil and Military aviation regulations (CAA/MAA/EASA) and standards.

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 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.

Skills

UAV flight testing

UAV pilot certification

Data analysis

Regulatory knowledge

UK security clearance

Job description

Saab UK in Bedford is seeking a Flight Test Engineer to manage preparation and support of UAV flight operations. You will bridge engineering and field testing, driving rigorous evaluation of systems through test planning, flight execution, and data analysis.

Ideal candidates will have hands-on UAV piloting, experience with telemetry and post-flight reporting, and familiarity with UK regulatory requirements (CAA/MAA/EASA).