Pilot

Poseidon Aerospace; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Relocation assistance

Health benefits

Retirement match

Flexible PTO

Free meals

Job summary

Poseidon Aerospace in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking an experienced RPIC to lead flight testing of our autonomous cargo aircraft. You will own the aircraft from preflight to post-flight and work with the test team on ground readiness.

This role demands deep UAS operational experience, sharp situational awareness, and disciplined test execution in dynamic field environments, with opportunities to contribute to ground operations and flight-test planning.

Qualifications

• RPIC experience in UAS/test environments.
• FAA Part 107 certification; COA familiarity.
• Multi-engine pilot with Part 61/141 is preferred.
• Strong communication and risk assessment skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as RPIC for Poseidon aircraft during developmental flight testing and demonstrations.
• Execute flight test cards while monitoring vehicle state, airspace, and test objectives.
• Lead preflight and postflight briefs with the test team.
• Coordinate airspace authorizations, COA applications, and range scheduling.
• Review flight data logs and provide pilot insights to engineering teams.
• Help configure and verify aircraft systems prior to flight with avionics/propulsion engineers.
• Contribute to development of operational concepts for autonomous missions.

Skills

RPIC experience

Airspace coordination

Discipline in test ops

Strong communication

Tools

Telemetry systems

GCS interfaces

Autopilot behavior understanding

Job description

About Poseidon Aerospace:

Poseidon Aerospace is reimagining how the world moves goods. We build and operate full-size autonomous cargo aircraft - capable of carrying two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. From remote communities to contested logistics operations, our platforms unlock a new cost curve for air freight, making it faster, cheaper, and accessible anywhere it's needed. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with locations in Washington DC, Oregon, and Maine; we're building something consequential.

As a Pilot at Poseidon Aerospace, you will serve as the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. Flying is your primary function, you own the aircraft from preflight to post-flight, and when you're not in the air, you're supporting the test team on the ground to make sure the next flight is ready to go.

This role is for pilots first. You bring deep UAS operational experience, sharp situational awareness, and the discipline to run repeatable test operations safely. The engineering curiosity is a bonus, stick time is the foundation.

Flying responsibilities

• Serve as RPIC for all Poseidon aircraft during developmental flight testing and operational demonstrations




• Execute flight test cards with precision, maintaining awareness of vehicle state, airspace, and test objectives throughout each sortie




• Lead preflight briefings and postflight debriefings with the test team




• Conduct flight readiness reviews and make go/no-go decisions based on aircraft status, weather, and airspace conditions




• Maintain and apply SOPs, emergency checklists, and crew resource management practices on every flight




• Provide structured debrief reports including anomalies, out-of-limits observations, and qualitative flight assessment

Ground support responsibilities

When not flying, you'll work alongside the test team to keep operations moving.

• Support ground operations, range setup, and communications infrastructure for test campaigns




• Assist in developing and maintaining flight test plans, SOPs, and operational documentation




• Coordinate airspace authorizations, COA applications, and range scheduling




• Review flight data logs to flag anomalies and provide pilot perspective to engineering teams




• Help configure and verify aircraft systems prior to flight, working alongside avionics and propulsion engineers




• Contribute to the development of operational concepts for autonomous and remote-piloted missions

Required qualifications

• Demonstrated experience as RPIC for UAS or RPAS platforms in operational or test environments




• FAA Part 107 certification; familiarity with COA processes and experimental aircraft operations




• FAA Part 61 or Part 141 certificated pilot (Private, Commercial, or ATP) with multi-engine privileges




• Strong working knowledge of airspace coordination, mission planning, and preflight risk assessment




• Ability to execute disciplined, repeatable test operations in dynamic field environments




• Clear, structured communicator - comfortable leading briefs and debriefs with mixed engineering and operations audiences




• At ease with evolving aircraft configurations and startup-level operational tempo

Bonus points for

• RPIC experience on large or complex UAS platforms (Group 3-5, e.g., Reaper, Global Hawk, or comparable)




• Familiarity with telemetry systems, GCS interfaces, and autopilot behavior in test configurations




• Experience supporting field test campaigns for new or developmental aircraft platforms




• Exposure to flight test instrumentation, data logging, or postflight analysis workflows




• Knowledge of simulation environments used for mission rehearsal or systems testing




• Aerospace, systems, or mechanical engineering background

What you get from us

• Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity




• Relocation support if applicable




• Employee Health Benefit Plans




• 6% Retirement matching




• Flexible PTO




• Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked fridge at our offices




• AI tools and subscriptions