Flight Test Operations Engineer

Samson Rose; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Samson Rose is seeking a Flight Test Operations Engineer in the Los Angeles area to lead end-to-end flight-test campaigns for a next-generation autonomous aircraft. You will collaborate with engineering, business development, and test-range personnel to plan, execute, review data, and report findings.

The role requires hands-on testing, strong collaboration, and an ability to translate test results into actionable design improvements while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant engineering experience, ideally in aerospace, flight testing, or unmanned aircraft systems.
• Demonstrated experience planning, coordinating, and executing flight-test campaigns.
• Working knowledge of PX4, MAVLink, and QGroundControl.
• Understanding of aircraft systems, aerodynamics, and flight-test fundamentals.
• Experience monitoring flight operations, reviewing flight data, identifying anomalies, and supporting technical investigations.
• Familiarity with FAA airworthiness requirements and aircraft testing or certification processes.
• Strong technical documentation, organizational, and project coordination skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute flight-test plans and procedures for the autonomous aircraft.
• Own end-to-end test campaign activities from planning to data review and reporting.
• Coordinate flight-test operations across engineering, business development, test-range personnel, customers, and stakeholders.
• Lead preflight and postflight debriefings to ensure readiness and clear communication.
• Monitor aircraft performance during testing, identify anomalies, and coordinate real-time troubleshooting.
• Review flight-test data and translate results into actionable engineering improvements.
• Develop and refine test procedures to improve efficiency, repeatability, and safety.
• Support FAA airworthiness requirements and certification activities for testing in the NAS.
• Help develop field-test equipment, ground-support systems, and test vehicles.
• Work with engineering teams to investigate issues and improve performance and reliability.
• Identify opportunities to streamline testing while maintaining safety standards.
• Travel to test ranges as needed to support campaigns.

Skills

Aerospace Eng

Flight Testing

PX4

MAVLink

QGroundControl

Systems Eng

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Job description

Flight Test Operations Engineer

Location: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Employment Type: Full-Time
Department: Engineering

About the Opportunity

An innovative, venture-backed aerospace company is developing a new generation of autonomous, turbine-powered VTOL aircraft designed for demanding defense and commercial applications.

This isn't a concept aircraft sitting on a drawing board. The team has already developed and flown multiple full-scale prototypes and is now pushing its latest aircraft through the next stage of development. The platform is designed to carry up to 100 pounds and reach speeds of approximately 270 mph, with applications across demanding defense and commercial markets.

The company is growing its engineering team and looking for a Flight Test Operations Engineer to help take these aircraft from prototype to operational capability.

This is a chance to get close to the hardware, own meaningful parts of the flight-test process, and work alongside a team moving quickly from engineering concepts to real aircraft in the sky.

What You'll Do

• Develop and execute flight-test plans and operational procedures for the company's next-generation autonomous aircraft.

• Own end-to-end test campaign activities, from initial planning and preparation through execution, data review, and reporting.

• Coordinate flight-test operations across engineering, business development, test-range personnel, customers, and other stakeholders.

• Lead preflight briefings and postflight debriefings to ensure clear communication, operational readiness, and effective follow-through.

• Monitor aircraft performance during flight testing, identify anomalies, and coordinate real-time troubleshooting and mitigation efforts.

• Review flight-test data, document findings, and translate test results into actionable engineering improvements.

• Develop and refine test procedures to improve operational efficiency, repeatability, and safety.

• Support FAA airworthiness requirements and certification activities for aircraft testing and operations within the National Airspace System.

• Help develop and maintain field-test equipment, ground-support systems, and test vehicles.

• Work directly with engineering teams to investigate technical issues and improve aircraft performance and reliability.

• Identify opportunities to streamline test operations and reduce unnecessary testing while maintaining appropriate safety and validation standards.

• Travel to test ranges as needed to support flight-test campaigns and aircraft development activities.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field.

• 5+ years of relevant engineering experience, ideally in aerospace, flight testing, or unmanned aircraft systems.

• Demonstrated experience planning, coordinating, and executing flight-test campaigns.

• Working knowledge of PX4, MAVLink, and QGroundControl.

• Understanding of aircraft systems, aerodynamics, and flight-test fundamentals.

• Experience monitoring flight operations, reviewing flight data, identifying anomalies, and supporting technical investigations.

• Familiarity with FAA airworthiness requirements and aircraft testing or certification processes.

• Strong technical documentation, organizational, and project coordination skills.

• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced engineering environment.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to coordinate effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

• A proactive, hands-on approach to problem solving and a willingness to take ownership of test activities.

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident due to access to export-controlled technical data. A security clearance is not required.

Preferred Experience

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related technical discipline.

• Experience with Group 3 unmanned aircraft systems or comparable aircraft platforms.

• Familiarity with flight-test methodologies, test instrumentation, and specialized test equipment.

• Experience developing test procedures, ground-support equipment, or field-test infrastructure.

• Knowledge of fault injection, system validation, and structured test methods.

• Experience with root-cause analysis, corrective action, and troubleshooting of aircraft or autonomous systems.

• Experience supporting prototype aircraft development and iterative hardware testing.

• Previous experience working in a startup, early-stage aerospace company, or fast-paced engineering environment.

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to help shape the flight-test operations of a new class of autonomous aircraft while working directly with the engineers designing and building the hardware.

You won't be limited to reviewing test plans or coordinating activities from the sidelines. You'll be involved in the actual process of preparing aircraft, executing flight campaigns, monitoring performance, investigating issues, and turning real-world results into better designs.

The company offers an environment where engineers have meaningful ownership, work closely with decision-makers, and can see the direct impact of their contributions as aircraft move from prototype development toward operational capability.

For someone who enjoys hands-on flight testing, solving complex engineering challenges, and helping advance the future of autonomous aviation, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Location & Work Requirements

Location: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Travel: Travel to flight-test ranges as required
Work Authorization: U.S. citizen or permanent resident required due to export-control requirements. No security clearance is required.