Lead Flight Test Engineer – Autonomous Aerial Systems

Anduril Industries; Sydney Township (ND); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries seeks a Flight Test Engineering Lead to oversee a small team of test engineers and manage end-to-end flight test programs for autonomous aerial vehicles. You will design tests, lead data analysis, and ensure mission readiness across developmental, integration, and operational phases.

You will coordinate with program leadership and customer authorities, author test plans, and drive safety and compliance in both development and deployment environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years in flight test engineering or related discipline.
• Experience planning/executing flight test campaigns and authoring test plans/cards.
• Ability to lead a small technical team through complex test programs.
• Working knowledge of flight dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, or control theory.
• Familiarity with flight test instrumentation, data acquisition, and telemetry.
• Experience with test hazard analysis, safety reviews, and airworthiness procedures (manned/unmanned).
• Proficiency with Linux, command-line interfaces, and software debugging in a test environment.
• Strong written communication for technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an NV1 Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of flight test engineers, managing workload planning and development.
• Own the flight test campaign schedule from planning through post-test reporting.
• Serve as the interface between test teams and customer test authorities during joint events.
• Make risk-informed decisions on test readiness and safety-of-flight matters.
• Brief test results and vehicle status to program leadership and stakeholders.
• Author and review flight test plans, test cards, and data reduction plans.
• Define test points, flight envelopes, and success criteria for autonomous vehicles.
• Execute flight tests as test conductor or vehicle operator, including pre-flight checks.
• Develop and maintain flight test instrumentation requirements and telemetry setups.
• Coordinate range operations, airspace requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Support design/integration of autonomous aerial vehicle subsystems and interfaces.
• Develop and operate hardware-in-the-loop test environments.
• Perform flight test data reduction to evaluate performance against requirements.
• Author detailed test reports for internal and customer audiences.
• Support in-field debug, repair, and maintenance during campaigns.

Skills

Team leadership

Flight test planning

Test plan writing

Data analysis

Linux

Telemetry

Flight dynamics

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace/mechanical/electrical or related field

Job description

Anduril Industries seeks a Flight Test Engineering Lead to oversee a small team of test engineers and manage end-to-end flight test programs for autonomous aerial vehicles. You will design tests, lead data analysis, and ensure mission readiness across developmental, integration, and operational phases.

You will coordinate with program leadership and customer authorities, author test plans, and drive safety and compliance in both development and deployment environments.