Senior BVLOS UAS Flight Operations Lead

Flagship Pioneering; Longmont (CO); On-site; USD 115,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering is seeking a UAS Flight Operations Engineer II to lead BVLOS missions, waiver strategy, and regulatory compliance for our fixed-wing UAV program in demanding environments.

You will manage field operations, real-time monitoring, and post-flight analyses with a small, specialized team, bridging engineering and operations as we scale from prototype flights to production-ready programs in international settings.

Qualifications

• BA/BS + 5 years of UAV flight operations experience or MS + 3 years with at least 2 years in hands-on UAV fixed-wing operations
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate required
• Experience with ArduPilot-based autopilot systems and mission scripting
• Fixed-wing flight experience including manual RC proficiency and anomaly recognition

Responsibilities

• Lead BVLOS operations planning and flight test execution, including waiver compliance, pre-flight risk assessment, and real-time mission monitoring
• Lead flight testing of a custom fixed-wing airframe from initial flight to design validation with the engineering team
• Own the FAA Part 107 waiver strategy, COA applications, and international UAS regulatory compliance
• Develop and maintain standardized operating procedures, pre-flight checklists, and emergency response protocols for field campaigns
• Serve as primary PIC and/or flight test director for fixed-wing UAV missions, including test and contingency operations
• Analyze flight logs to diagnose anomalies and improve mission reliability and safety margins
• Coordinate with meteorological resources and integrate atmospheric data for go/no-go decisions
• Collaborate with science and field teams to validate mission profiles and data quality

Skills

UAS operations

Flight testing

Regulatory compliance

Documentation

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in aerospace engineering / aviation / atmospheric science

Tools

Mission Planner

QGroundControl

ArduPilot

GCS software

MAVExplorer

Job description

Flagship Pioneering is seeking a UAS Flight Operations Engineer II to lead BVLOS missions, waiver strategy, and regulatory compliance for our fixed-wing UAV program in demanding environments.

You will manage field operations, real-time monitoring, and post-flight analyses with a small, specialized team, bridging engineering and operations as we scale from prototype flights to production-ready programs in international settings.