Staff UAS Flight Test Operator - 5793

Shield; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 74,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff UAS Flight Test Operator to lead system-level flight test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy across diverse UAS platforms. You will plan, execute, and document missions, ensuring safety and operational readiness of aircraft, payloads, and control systems.

You will validate pre-release HivemindSDK versions, analyze results, and provide feedback to product and software teams. A Part 107 certificate and extensive UAS experience are required.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience operating, configuring, and maintaining Group 1/2 UAS platforms in test, military, commercial, or operational environments.
• Experience leading complex UAS flight operations, including mission planning, crew briefings/debriefings, and real-time coordination.
• Strong knowledge of COTS UAS hardware, autopilot systems, payloads, ground control stations, and test equipment.
• Experience maintaining configuration control across aircraft, payloads, software, and test infrastructure.
• Experience developing SOPs, checklists, risk assessments, and operational processes.
• Working knowledge of National Airspace System operations and flight authorization requirements.
• 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.
• Plan and conduct missions per test plans and safety procedures.
• Operate, inspect, and maintain UAS, payloads, and ground control systems across lab, ground, and flight-test environments.
• Test pre-release HivemindSDK versions validating features, integrations, and autonomy capabilities.
• Develop and execute customer workflows to assess SDK functionality and reliability.
• Document results, defects, and regressions; provide actionable feedback to multiple teams.
• Lead risk assessments, crew briefings, launch and recovery prep, and post-flight debriefs.
• Monitor telemetry, collect flight data, and support anomaly investigation.
• Establish SOPs and test procedures; mentor personnel and communicate test status and risks.

Skills

UAS operations

Flight operations leadership

Autopilot systems

Payload integration

SOP development

NAS operations

FAA Part 107

Tools

ArduPilot

PX4

QGroundControl

Mission Planner

Linux

MAVLink

ROS/ROS2

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube .

The Staff UAS Flight Test Operator leads system-level flight test operations supporting Hivemind Mission Autonomy across small UAS and external platforms. As a member of the Hivemind Product Quality team, this role supports the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) for HivemindSDK by testing pre-release software and verifying its features, capabilities, and operational performance in representative laboratory and flight environments. The operator is responsible for the operational readiness, configuration, and safe operation of multi-rotor and fixed-wing UAS, payloads, ground control systems, and supporting test equipment; plans and conducts single- and multi-aircraft missions; supports fly–fix–fly campaigns; validates autonomy capabilities; identifies defects and usability issues; and provides actionable feedback to improve the quality and customer readiness of each release.

What You’ll Do:

• 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.

Required 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

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting autonomy, AI‑enabled systems, or developmental flight test programs, particularly multi‑aircraft or distributed UAS operations.
• Experience supporting test progression across simulation, software‑in‑the‑loop, hardware‑in‑the‑loop, ground test, and flight test environments.
• Hands‑on fabrication and integration experience involving mechanical assemblies, electrical systems, wiring harnesses, avionics, payloads, and supporting test equipment.
• Proficiency with ArduPilot, PX4, QGroundControl, and Mission Planner, with working knowledge of Linux, IP networking, MAVLink, ROS/ROS 2, or basic scripting.
• Military UAS operations or experience supporting DoD developmental testing, operational testing, customer demonstrations, or other formally controlled test programs.

$35.60 - $54.30 an hour

#LE

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part‑time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.