Range Safety & Flight Termination Engineer

AeroVironment, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. in the United States seeks a Range Safety & Flight Termination Engineer to support the Missile Defense Agency.

The role provides critical engineering for flight termination systems used across launch and reentry vehicles, acting as Range Safety expert in tests, reviews, and technical working groups. Requirements include a Master’s degree with 12+ years in missile defense or a BA/BS with 20+ years, plus an active DoD Secret clearance.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or BA/BS with required years in missile defense or large DoD programs.
• Active DoD Secret clearance is required.
• Demonstrated background in flight termination systems and ordnance systems.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Range Safety expert on behalf of Targets Program during flight tests and reviews.
• Provide oversight of requirements development, allocation and verification for target system FTS products.
• Conduct technical surveillance across FTS hardware and software development, qualification, acceptance, integration, and final checkout.
• Author technical reports detailing system status, analytical findings, and formal recommendations.
• Represent government stakeholder interests in technical working groups and design reviews.

Skills

Flight termination

RCC standards

GPS/IMU

Security clearance

Technical briefing

Travel readiness

Education

Master's degree + 12+ years

BA/BS + 20+ years

Tools

FTS testing tools

Job description

Worker Type Regular Job Description AV is looking for a highly talented Range Safety & Flight Termination Engineer to support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Targets and Countermeasures Engineering Directorate (MDA/TCE). In this role, you will provide critical engineering expertise for the flight terminations systems (FTS) used across launch and reentry vehicles.

Job Description

• Serve as Range Safety expert on behalf of the Targets Program office during flight tests, Range Safety Working Groups, and flight termination testing.
• Provide oversight of requirements development, allocation and verification for target system FTS products, including autonomous flight termination systems.
• Conduct technical surveillance across FTS hardware and software development, qualification, acceptance, integration, and final checkout.
• Author technical reports detailing system status, analytical findings, and formal recommendations.
• Represent government stakeholder interests in technical working groups, customer forums, and formal design reviews.

Required

• Master of Science or Master of Arts degree and 12+ years of experience supporting missile defense or large-scale, complex DoD programs.
• OR, a BA/BS degree from an accredited institution of higher learning and 20+ years of experience supporting missile defense or large-scale, complex DoD programs.
• Active DoD Secret clearance.

Technical Expertise

• Demonstrated background in flight termination systems and ordnance systems.
• Standards: Proficient in flight safety analysis products, specifically RCC-319 (Flight Termination Commonality Standard) and RCC-324 (Range Safety Tracking Systems Commonality Standard).
• Tracking Systems: Working knowledge of range tracking architectures, including GPS, Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), and C-band tracking.
• Communication & Mobility: Strong written and verbal briefing skills; willingness and ability to travel for mission deployments.

Desired

• Direct experience with Autonomous Flight Termination Systems (AFTS).
• Hands‑on flight test operations experience.
• Technical background in RF systems, antennas, batteries, and ordinance devices.
• 10 + years of experience in defense and aerospace.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants will be asked to provide specific documentation to verify U.S. person status under the ITAR and the EAR. A “U.S. person” according to their definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee, or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

• Medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits. We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC. Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty - and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand‑launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real‑time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

AeroVironment (AV) isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission‑obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI‑powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV. Careers at AeroVironment.