Senior UAS Flight Test Lead for Autonomy Missions

Lever, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 49,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI in the United States seeks a Staff UAS Flight Test Operator to lead system-level flight test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy across multiple UAS platforms. You will plan, execute, and supervise test missions, inspect and maintain flight systems, and validate pre-release HivemindSDK versions with a focus on safety and operational readiness.

You will document results, coordinate across product, software, and quality teams, and mentor flight test personnel while adhering to SOPs

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience operating, configuring, and maintaining Group 1/2 UAS platforms in test, military, commercial, or operational environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex UAS flight operations, including mission planning, test-card execution, crew briefings and debriefings, and real-time coordination in dynamic test environments.
• Strong knowledge of COTS UAS hardware, autopilot systems, payloads, ground control stations, communications systems, and supporting test equipment.
• Experience assessing operational readiness and maintaining configuration control across aircraft, payloads, software, communications equipment, personnel, and test infrastructure.
• Experience developing, implementing, and executing SOPs, checklists, risk assessments, hazard mitigations, and operational processes.
• Working knowledge of National Airspace System operations, airspace coordination, flight authorization requirements, and operational planning for complex UAS missions.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate holder

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level flight test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy across multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and external UAS platforms, including day-to-day fly–fix–fly operations.
• Plan and conduct missions in accordance with approved test plans, test cards, configuration requirements, release criteria, and safety procedures.
• Operate, configure, inspect, and maintain UAS, payloads, ground control systems, communications equipment, and supporting test infrastructure across laboratory, ground, and flight-test environments.
• Test pre-release HivemindSDK versions by verifying features, integrations, autonomy capabilities, and performance against defined product and quality requirements.
• Develop and execute representative customer workflows and mission scenarios to assess SDK functionality, usability, reliability, and operational performance across aircraft types and multi-agent configurations.
• Document test results, defects, anomalies, regressions, and limitations; provide actionable feedback to product, software, systems, autonomy, and quality teams; and support issue reproduction, triage, and corrective-action verification.
• Lead operational risk assessments, crew briefings, ground checks, launch and recovery preparations, and post-flight debriefs while serving in designated leadership roles during test conduct.
• Monitor telemetry and system status, collect flight data, evaluate aircraft and autonomy behavior, and support initial anomaly investigation.
• Establish and maintain SOPs, test procedures, checklists, and operational standards; mentor flight test personnel; communicate test status and risks; and drive improvements in safety, efficiency, product quality, and customer readiness.

Skills

UAS operations

Flight test planning

Crew coordination

Test-card execution

Autonomy systems

Tools

ArduPilot

PX4

QGroundControl

Mission Planner

Linux

MAVLink

ROS/ROS2

Job description

Shield AI in the United States seeks a Staff UAS Flight Test Operator to lead system-level flight test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy across multiple UAS platforms. You will plan, execute, and supervise test missions, inspect and maintain flight systems, and validate pre-release HivemindSDK versions with a focus on safety and operational readiness.

You will document results, coordinate across product, software, and quality teams, and mentor flight test personnel while adhering to SOPs