UAS Air Planner — Strategic Flight Operations

Huntington Ingalls Industries; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 109,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Huntington Ingalls Industries is seeking an Air Planner for Unmanned Systems to plan, coordinate, and manage air operations for UAS missions. The role ensures safe, compliant execution by integrating airspace requirements, priorities, regulatory guidance, and mission objectives.

You will develop airspace plans, coordinate with authorities, analyze requirements, and support risk assessments while collaborating with engineering, logistics, and operations teams to ensure mission success.

Qualifications

• 10 years relevant experience with Bachelor's in related field; 8 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 14 years relevant experience
• Experience with unmanned aerial systems operations, aviation planning, or airspace management
• Knowledge of FAA regulations, DoD flight procedures, and unmanned system capabilities
• Ability to interpret aeronautical charts, flight planning tools, and airspace data
• Strong communication and coordination skills across technical and operational teams
• Experience in military aviation, UAS operations centers, or air traffic coordination is preferred
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate test data into meaningful engineering conclusions
• Understanding of operational risk management for unmanned flight
• Ability to manage multiple missions and priorities in dynamic environments
• Ability to develop safety risk assessments and aviation safety documentation
• Excellent technical writing skills for producing test plans, reports, and engineering documentation
• Clearance: Must possess and maintain a TS/SCI clearance

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain air operations plans for unmanned systems, including flight schedules, routes, airspace usage, and mission profiles
• Coordinate with airspace authorities, range control, operations centers, and mission planners to ensure compliance with FAA, DoD, and local airspace regulations
• Analyze mission requirements and determine the appropriate unmanned platforms, payloads, and operational parameters
• Support risk assessments, safety reviews, and pre-flight planning activities for UAS missions
• Monitor ongoing UAS operations and adjust plans based on changing mission needs, weather conditions, or airspace constraints
• Prepare airspace requests, flight authorizations, and required mission documentation
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as engineering, logistics, operations, and data analysis to ensure mission success
• Maintain situational awareness of airspace restrictions, NOTAMs, SUA schedules, and other relevant flight planning data
• Provide operational recommendations to leadership and contribute to concept-of-operations (CONOPS) development for unmanned systems
• Track UAS mission performance metrics and support after-action reviews

Skills

UAS operations

Aviation planning

Airspace management

FAA regulations

Communications

Analytical skills

Cross-functional coordination

Technical writing

Risk management

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

High school diploma

Tools

Flight planning software

UAS ground control systems

Job description

Huntington Ingalls Industries is seeking an Air Planner for Unmanned Systems to plan, coordinate, and manage air operations for UAS missions. The role ensures safe, compliant execution by integrating airspace requirements, priorities, regulatory guidance, and mission objectives.

You will develop airspace plans, coordinate with authorities, analyze requirements, and support risk assessments while collaborating with engineering, logistics, and operations teams to ensure mission success.