UAV Flight Test Lead

Cambridge, MA. Posted 2 months ago

The role

You will plan and own flight test campaigns to move aircraft from simulation to fielded capability. You will coordinate with software and hardware teams to align test objectives and lead flight tests in the field.

What you will do

Coordinate with software and hardware teams to align test objectives
Translate company strategic goals into concrete flight test plans and outcomes
Track flight test campaign progress and maintain fleet and test team readiness
Plan, attend and lead flight tests in the field
Author, review, and approve flight test plans, hazard analyses, test cards and reports
Coordinate with authorities to ensure compliance with FAA regulations and military range requirements
Establish telemetry and data pipelines for post-flight analysis
Lead root-cause investigations when anomalies or structural failures occur

Required qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
Willingness to work in the field a majority of the time including travel to test sites, early mornings, and variable weather
Hands-on, system-level flight test experience
Demonstrated ownership of formal test design/planning and documentation
Active FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, or the ability to obtain one prior to or shortly after start date
Experience with BVLOS waivers, COA processes, or military test range coordination
Comfortable in Linux
Experienced with flight software, like PX4, ArduPilot, MAVLink, ROS2, QGroundControl, or similar
Proficiency with flight instrumentation, telemetry systems, and data analysis
Familiarity with Git, Jira, and collaborative engineering practices

Nice to have

Experience testing in GPS-denied, degraded, or contested RF environments
Background in GNC, sensor fusion, aircraft design, or robotics
Software development experience and/or skilled in C/C++ and/or Python

Benefits

Competitive salary
Meaningful equity
Generous benefits package

Before you apply

Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
May be subject to a government security clearance process

About the company

Tycho.AI is a fast-growing, dual-use technology company building AI and autonomy solutions for unmanned systems. Spun out of MIT and backed by DoD contracts, they focus on autonomous intelligence for GPS-denied and contested environments.