Test Pilot

Powerus; Rock Hill (SC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Powerus is seeking several UAS Test Pilots to join our Rock Hill, South Carolina facility. You will pilot and test drones on the production line, ensuring they meet our safety and quality standards before delivery.

The role sits at the intersection of Production, Quality and Engineering, focusing on hands-on flight testing, issue identification and process improvement to scale manufacturing with uncompromising quality.

Qualifications

• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• Significant hands-on experience flying multirotor UAS.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving manufacturing environment.
• Disciplined approach to procedures, documentation and safety.

Responsibilities

• Conduct production flight testing of UAS manufactured at our Rock Hill facility.
• Perform pre-flight, flight and post-flight inspections and testing.
• Execute standardized flight-test and acceptance procedures.
• Identify abnormal flight characteristics, vibration, handling, performance or system behavior.
• Identify potential hardware, software, configuration and assembly issues.
• Complete QC/QA documentation and maintain accurate test and flight records.
• Reject aircraft that do not meet required standards and clearly document deficiencies.
• Work directly with Production, Engineering and Quality teams to diagnose and resolve issues.
• Re-test aircraft following repairs, adjustments or rework.
• Help develop and continuously improve flight-test procedures, checklists and acceptance criteria.
• Support increasing production volumes while maintaining uncompromising standards for safety and quality.

Skills

Part 107 Certificate

Multirotor UAS

Troubleshooting

Attention to detail

Manufacturing environment

Quality ownership

Job description

Powerus is a next-generation American autonomous systems company building and scaling advanced unmanned systems for defense, national security, public safety and commercial customers.

We are growing rapidly and expanding our manufacturing operations into our new 300,000 sq. ft. facility in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

As production scales, we are looking for exceptional people who want to build, test and deliver technology that matters.

The Role

We are looking for several UAS Test Pilots to join our team in Rock Hill.

This is a hands-on production and quality role responsible for flight testing the drones coming off our production line and ensuring they meet our standards before being cleared for delivery.

You will sit at the intersection of Production, Quality and Engineering. Your job is not simply to make sure an aircraft flies. It is to understand how it should fly, identify when something isn't right, and make sure issues are captured and corrected before that aircraft leaves our facility.

We want someone who is genuinely obsessed with drones and knows what good looks like.

What You'll Do

• Conduct production flight testing of UAS manufactured at our Rock Hill facility.
• Perform pre-flight, flight and post-flight inspections and testing.
• Execute standardized flight-test and acceptance procedures.
• Identify abnormal flight characteristics, vibration, handling, performance or system behavior.
• Identify potential hardware, software, configuration and assembly issues.
• Complete QC/QA documentation and maintain accurate test and flight records.
• Reject aircraft that do not meet required standards and clearly document deficiencies.
• Work directly with Production, Engineering and Quality teams to diagnose and resolve issues.
• Re-test aircraft following repairs, adjustments or rework.
• Help develop and continuously improve flight-test procedures, checklists and acceptance criteria.
• Support increasing production volumes while maintaining uncompromising standards for safety and quality.

What We're Looking For

• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is required.
• Significant hands-on experience flying multirotor UAS.
• Strong understanding of UAS systems, components and flight characteristics.
• Ability to recognize when an aircraft isn't performing correctly and help identify why.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.Exceptional attention to detail.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving manufacturing environment.
• Disciplined approach to procedures, documentation and safety.
• Someone who takes personal ownership of the quality of every aircraft they approve.
• Military, defense, commercial UAS or high-volume drone operations experience is a plus.
• Must be able to work full-time, on-site in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This is not a remote or hybrid role.

Who You Are

You probably fly drones outside of work as well as at work.

You understand the difference between an aircraft that technically passes a test and one that is genuinely performing as it should. You notice the small things. You know what a well-built, well-tuned aircraft should sound like, feel like and look like in flight.

Most importantly, you care about quality. If your name is attached to an aircraft being released, you want to know that aircraft is right.

Why Powerus

Powerus is building a significant autonomous systems manufacturing capability in the United States.

You'll join at a stage where the company is scaling quickly, production is increasing and the standards and processes we establish today will help define how we operate at much greater scale.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to do far more than simply fly drones. You'll have a direct impact on the quality, reliability and performance of the systems we put into our customers' hands.

Powerus is an equal opportunity employer. We value talent, performance, ownership and different perspectives, and we encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.