UAS Operator New Winchester, Virginia

Heven Drones Ltd; Winchester, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision coverage

Retirement plans

Paid time off / sick leave

Critical illness protection

Disability coverage

Job summary

Heven AeroTech is seeking a UAS Operator to apply field experience operating hydrogen powered Hybrid VTOL and multirotor UAS. You will support post‑production flights, demonstrations, and customer training plans, including field support.

Travel to flight test ranges is required with mileage reimbursed when no company vehicle is available. The role covers maintenance of logbooks and system records, and you will work with Ground Control Systems, Ground Support Equipment, and payloads.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years military or commercial UAS operations experience.
• Experience drafting and/or maintaining logbooks, maintenance records, configuration records, and discrepancy documentation.
• Ability to execute approved test cards, checklists, and flight plans within defined parameters.
• Strong discipline in pre-flight, post-flight, configuration control, and anomaly documentation processes.
• Ability to present technical data to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to maintain and optimize complex systems, including preventative maintenance.
• Ability to inspect, install, troubleshoot, and perform basic repairs on payload and radio integration harnesses.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Commitment to maintaining and improving safety for personnel and equipment.
• U.S. work authorization; ITAR/EAR considerations and U.S. export control compliance.

Responsibilities

• Operate Air Vehicles, Ground Control Systems, Ground Support Equipment, payloads, radios, and related hardware during demonstrations and test flights.
• Execute approved flight plans, test cards, ground test procedures, checklists, and flight profiles for Group 2+ UAS.
• Support engineering reporting with operator notes, flight logs, configuration records, and observations.
• Assist with installation, checkout, and troubleshooting of payload, radio, harness, and electromechanical integrations under engineering direction.
• Contribute to sustainment-ready military UAS by providing product feedback to inform design improvements.
• Develop and implement customer use cases of the Air Vehicle.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

UAS operations

Logbooks & records

Test card execution

Configuration control

Technical data presentation

Maintenance of complex systems

Payload/radio integration trouble

Safety culture

Team collaboration

Tools

STANAG 4586 GCS

Vigilant Spirit

SOCOM Modular Payload standards

Job description

Title: UAS Operator
Company: Heven AeroTech
Location: Winchester, VA
FLSA: Non-exempt
Reports To: Head of US Flight Operations

About Our Company:
At Heven AeroTech (Heven), we don’t just believe in the power of people—we build our success on it. As a recognized leader in hydrogen-powered drones, we’ve earned recognition for creating a workplace where innovation thrives, collaboration is second nature, and every employee feels valued. Our culture is anchored in trust and a shared commitment to excellence.

We believe great teams are built on individuals who are humble, hungry, and smart—those who put team success first, take initiative to continuously improve, and demonstrate strong interpersonal awareness. At Heven, your voice matters, your ideas are heard, and your contributions make a tangible impact as you grow through hands‑on experience and collaboration across the team.

Role Summary:

The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operator applies their hard‑earned field experience to operate hydrogen powered Hybrid VTOL and Multirotor Unmanned Aerial Systems. They will support and perform post‑production flights, technical demonstrations, and customer training plans, and customer field support as necessary. This position requires automobile travel of ~2 hours each way to flight test ranges, mileage is reimbursed if a company vehicle is not available, some ground tests can be performed locally. CONUS and occasional OCONUS travel may be required for training and field support.

The UAS Operator will be responsible for the overall state of health and readiness of UAS systems including the Ground Control Systems, Ground Support Equipment and Air Vehicles. This requires a working understanding of all major UAS components. The UAS Operator will own the maintenance of logbooks and other system configuration records for the systems in their custody.

The UAS Operator is expected to bring a pragmatic, real‑world perspective and will be relied upon as a member of the Flight Operations Team throughout the development of the system. They will be expected to provide “user perspective” feedback and improvement suggestions. This may also include assisting with fine‑tuning of training / instructional documentation. The UAS Operator may assist with issue reproduction, data collection, configuration verification, and controlled test execution.

Previous experience as a commercial or military UAS instructor, developmental test team member, Field Service Representative, or equivalent technical professional is preferred. Candidates with a background in manual flight control are strongly preferred. Applicants who have served in an Emergency Pilot (EP) role or who have logged significant hours flying fixed‑wing RC aircraft are encouraged to highlight this experience in their application.

• Operate Air Vehicles, Ground Control Systems, Ground Support Equipment, payloads, radios, and associated equipment during demonstration and test flights.
• Execute approved flight plans, test cards, ground test procedures, checklists, and flight profiles for Group 2+ UAS.
• Support engineering reporting by providing operator notes, flight logs, configuration records, and factual observations.
• Support installation, checkout, and troubleshooting of approved payload, radio, harness, and electromechanical integrations under engineering direction.
• Support the development of sustainment‑ready military UAS by providing product feedback to the engineering team to inform design objectives and improvements.
• Develop and implement customer use cases of the Air Vehicle.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience:

Required:

• Minimum of 4 years military or commercial UAS operations experience in deployed or testing environment.
• Experience drafting and / or maintaining logbooks, maintenance records, configuration records, and discrepancy documentation in a controlled operational or test environment.
• Ability to execute approved test cards, checklists, and flight plans while remaining within defined operational limitations and / or test parameters.
• Strong discipline in pre‑flight, post‑flight, configuration control, and anomaly documentation processes.
• Ability to present technical data to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to maintain and optimize complex systems, including preventative maintenance.
• Ability to inspect, install, troubleshoot, and perform basic repairs on payload and radio integration harnesses under engineering direction.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Commitment to maintaining and improving safety for personnel and equipment.
• Collaborative, professional, and effective in conflict resolution.
• Active DOD Secret Clearance (or ability to obtain).
• Active Class 2 FAA Medical Certification (or ability to obtain).
• Professional working proficiency in English (spoken and written) is required to perform the responsibilities of this role.
• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or in the future.
• If this role requires access to information controlled under U.S. export control laws (ITAR/EAR), applicants must also qualify as a “U.S. person” under 22 CFR §120.62 (U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual such as an asylee or refugee).

Preferred:

• Experience with military, fixed wing VTOL or multirotor, and Group 2+ categories in operational or test environments.
• Military or civilian UAS / aviation instructor experience.
• Experience supporting developmental flight testing, ground testing, iron bird testing, or controlled system checkout activities.
• Experience with STANAG 4586 GCS with software such as Vigilant Spirit
• Experience with SOCOM Modular Payload standards.
• Experience with manual flight control.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift and carry equipment up to 50 lbs regularly.
• Ability to stand, walk, and work outdoors for extended periods in varying weather conditions (heat, cold, wind, dust).
• Ability to travel by vehicle for up to ~2 hours each way to flight locations.
• Ability to set up, operate, and break down flight test equipment in field environments.
• Manual dexterity to assemble, maintain, and troubleshoot mechanical and electronic systems.
• Ability to work in physically dynamic environments, including uneven terrain and remote locations.
• Visual acuity sufficient to safely operate UAS and monitor flight operations.
• Ability to comply with all safety and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.

Benefits Overview:

Heven AeroTech offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the health, financial security, and overall well‑being of our employees and their families. Benefits in protectional, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plans, paid time off/sick, and additional protections such as critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident coverage, and short‑and‑long‑term disability.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Heven AeroTech is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Budgeted Salary Range:

$42 - $51 USD

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Heven