sUAS Pilot - Field Test & Prototype Flight Expert

PDW; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

BCBS medical coverage

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

On-site gym in Huntsville and Denver

Job summary

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is seeking an experienced sUAS operator to join our new Engineering Center in Huntsville. You will conduct flight operations for PDW sUAS in support of test, evaluation, and development activities, and perform acceptance tests on production aircraft and equipment.

Collaborating with engineers, you will test new features, document results, and demonstrate capabilities to customers while maintaining rigorous safety procedures and risk controls.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience operating and maintaining sUAS systems.
• Associate’s in engineering, Engineering Technology or related field.
• Ability to read and interpret technical documentation including test plans and assembly instructions.
• Experience supporting flight tests for unmanned aircraft systems or payloads.
• Familiarity with logging tools and issue tracking in an engineering environment.
• FAA Part 107 certification or in process.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct flight operations for PDW sUAS in test, evaluation, and development activities.
• Execute flight acceptance tests for production aircraft and equipment to verify system performance, quality, and readiness.
• Perform regression testing of hardware, software and configuration changes to confirm expected aircraft behavior.
• Support testing of new features, payload integrations, and emerging capabilities through structured flight test events.
• Fly prototype and early-development aircraft to help engineering evaluate new designs, controls, and system behavior.
• Develop deep technical understanding of PDW aircraft, payloads, subsystems, and normal flight characteristics to identify anomalies.
• Document flight results, discrepancies, failures, and observed issues clearly and completely.
• Conduct flight demonstrations for PDW customers.
• Follow all flight safety procedures, range/test site protocols, and operational risk controls.
• Make sound go/no-go and in-flight risk decisions to protect personnel and assets.

Skills

Flight operations

Testing & evaluation

Technical documentation

Communication skills

Education

Associate’s degree in engineering/Engineering Technology

Tools

sUAS hardware

Ground control systems

Diagnostics tools

Job description

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is seeking an experienced sUAS operator to join our new Engineering Center in Huntsville. You will conduct flight operations for PDW sUAS in support of test, evaluation, and development activities, and perform acceptance tests on production aircraft and equipment.

Collaborating with engineers, you will test new features, document results, and demonstrate capabilities to customers while maintaining rigorous safety procedures and risk controls.