Staff UAS Flight Test Operator - 5793

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Staff UAS Flight Test Operator leads system-level flight test operations supporting Hivemind Mission Autonomy across small UAS and external platforms. As a member of the Hivemind Product Quality team, this role supports the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) for HivemindSDK by testing pre-release software and verifying its features, capabilities, and operational performance in representative laboratory and flight environments. The operator is responsible for the operational readiness, configuration, and safe operation of multi-rotor and fixed-wing UAS, payloads, ground control systems, and supporting test equipment; plans and conducts single- and multi-aircraft missions; supports fly–fix–fly campaigns; validates autonomy capabilities; identifies defects and usability issues; and provides actionable feedback to improve the quality and customer readiness of each release.

What You’ll Do:

- Lead system-level flight test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy across multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and external UAS platforms, including day-to-day fly–fix–fly operations.

- Plan and conduct missions in accordance with approved test plans, test cards, configuration requirements, release criteria, and safety procedures.

- Operate, configure, inspect, and maintain UAS, payloads, ground control systems, communications equipment, and supporting test infrastructure across laboratory, ground, and flight-test environments.

- Test pre-release HivemindSDK versions by verifying features, integrations, autonomy capabilities, and performance against defined product and quality requirements.

- Develop and execute representative customer workflows and mission scenarios to assess SDK functionality, usability, reliability, and operational performance across aircraft types and multi-agent configurations.

- Document test results, defects, anomalies, regressions, and limitations; provide actionable feedback to product, software, systems, autonomy, and quality teams; and support issue reproduction, triage, and corrective-action verification.

- Lead operational risk assessments, crew briefings, ground checks, launch and recovery preparations, and post-flight debriefs while serving in designated leadership roles during test conduct.

- Monitor telemetry and system status, collect flight data, evaluate aircraft and autonomy behavior, and support initial anomaly investigation.

- Establish and maintain SOPs, test procedures, checklists, and operational standards; mentor flight test personnel; communicate test status and risks; and drive improvements in safety, efficiency, product quality, and customer readiness.

Required Qualifications:

- 8+ years of experience operating, configuring, and maintaining Group 1/2 UAS platforms in test, military, commercial, or operational environments.

- Demonstrated experience leading complex UAS flight operations, including mission planning, test-card execution, crew briefings and debriefings, and real-time coordination in dynamic test environments.

- Strong knowledge of COTS UAS hardware, autopilot systems, payloads, ground control stations, communications systems, and supporting test equipment.

- Experience assessing operational readiness and maintaining configuration control across aircraft, payloads, software, communications equipment, personnel, and test infrastructure.

- Experience developing, implementing, and executing SOPs, checklists, risk assessments, hazard mitigations, and operational processes.

- Working knowledge of National Airspace System operations, airspace coordination, flight authorization requirements, and operational planning for complex UAS missions.

- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate holder

Preferred Qualifications:

- Experience supporting autonomy, AI-enabled systems, or developmental flight test programs, particularly multi-aircraft or distributed UAS operations.

- Experience supporting test progression across simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, ground test, and flight test environments.

- Hands-on fabrication and integration experience involving mechanical assemblies, electrical systems, wiring harnesses, avionics, payloads, and supporting test equipment.

- Proficiency with ArduPilot, PX4, QGroundControl, and Mission Planner, with working knowledge of Linux, IP networking, MAVLink, ROS/ROS 2, or basic scripting.

- Military UAS operations or experience supporting DoD developmental testing, operational testing, customer demonstrations, or other formally controlled test programs.