UAS Flight Test Pilot & Safety Lead

Firestorm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 92,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision plans

401(k) plan

Equity grants

Unlimited PTO

Holiday calendar with breaks in Nov/De

Parental Leave

Lifestyle Spending Account

FSA/DCFSA/HSA

Life/AD&D insurance

Job summary

Firestorm is seeking a UAS Test Pilot, Emergency Pilot (EP) to join our Flight Test Team in San Diego. You will support flight operations from build validation to field demonstrations, piloting UAVs and handling safety duties to ensure mission readiness.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years of fixed-wing UAS experience, a Part 107 certificate, and US citizenship for ITAR compliance. You will work cross-functionally with engineering and operations to maintain fleet readiness and safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Minimum 5 years piloting fixed-wing Group 1-3 UAS, autonomous or remotely piloted systems.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate required.
• U.S. Citizenship due to ITAR regulations & ability to obtain DoD clearance.
• Experience as RPIC or Safety Pilot in flight operations.
• Familiarity with flight documentation: checklists, test cards, post-flight reports.
• Hands-on experience building, modifying, or maintaining UAS/RC aircraft.

Responsibilities

• Pilot fixed-wing UAVs for flight testing, training, and operations.
• Perform Safety Pilot duties for test and evaluation of UAS platforms.
• Ensure aircraft are flight-ready through pre-flight validation and checks.
• Conduct Functional Check Flights to verify readiness.
• Collaborate with Flight Test Engineers and teams for planning and execution.
• Maintain fleet readiness and support flight test execution.
• Coordinate end-to-end logistics for demos, deployments, and field exercises.
• Track aircraft status and configuration across platforms.
• Troubleshoot and coordinate repairs to maintain availability.

Skills

UAS piloting

Safety Pilot duties

Flight test planning

Cross-functional collaboration

FAA regulations

Documentation & reporting

Operational readiness

Student/teacher communication

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Firestorm is seeking a UAS Test Pilot, Emergency Pilot (EP) to join our Flight Test Team in San Diego. You will support flight operations from build validation to field demonstrations, piloting UAVs and handling safety duties to ensure mission readiness.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years of fixed-wing UAS experience, a Part 107 certificate, and US citizenship for ITAR compliance. You will work cross-functionally with engineering and operations to maintain fleet readiness and safety.