Senior UAS Flight Operations Lead — BVLOS & Field Tests

Socket.dev; Boulder (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 planning, regulatory compliance, and field operations for a field-oriented fixed‑wing UAV program. You will oversee waiver strategy, airspace coordination, and real‑time mission monitoring, collaborating with engineering to scale from prototype flights to production‑grade field operations.

You will act as primary pilot‑in‑command or flight test director, manage SOPs and incident documentation, and drive safety

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in aerospace engineering, aviation, atmospheric science, or equivalent.
• BA/BS + 5 years or MS + 3 years with hands-on UAV flight operations in real missions.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate required; BVLOS waivers/COA apps preferred.
• Experience with ArduPilot, mission scripting, failsafe configuration, and GCS software.
• Practical fixed-wing flight experience with in-flight anomaly recognition.
• Experience supporting field campaigns in remote or international environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead BVLOS operations planning and flight test execution with waiver compliance.
• Lead flight testing of a fixed-wing airframe from first flight to design validation.
• Own the waiver strategy, COA applications, and international regulatory compliance.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, pre-flight checklists, and emergency protocols.
• Serve as PIC or flight test director for fixed-wing UAV missions.
• Analyze flight logs to diagnose anomalies and improve reliability and safety.
• Coordinate with meteorology resources and integrate atmospheric data.
• Collaborate with science teams to validate mission profiles and sensor data.
• Manage ground control station operations and spectrum compliance during missions.
• Document flight operations and lessons learned for scalable knowledge base.

Skills

Flight operations

BVLOS operations planning

Regulatory compliance

ArduPilot

Remote piloting

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in aerospace engineering or equivalent operational experience

Tools

Mission Planner

QGroundControl

ArduPilot autopilot

Job description

Flagship Pioneering is seeking a UAS Flight Operations Engineer II to lead BVLOS planning, regulatory compliance, and field operations for a field-oriented fixed‑wing UAV program. You will oversee waiver strategy, airspace coordination, and real‑time mission monitoring, collaborating with engineering to scale from prototype flights to production‑grade field operations.

You will act as primary pilot‑in‑command or flight test director, manage SOPs and incident documentation, and drive safety