Flight Test Operator, Half Moon Bay

The role

You will execute and iterate flight operations to validate airworthiness and software integration for early-stage aircraft. You will work at test sites to troubleshoot hardware and software issues and summarize test results.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end daily flight test campaign execution
• Act as Remote Pilot in Command for Autonomous Aircraft
• Execute mission profiles, feature testing, and fault injection testing
• Validate functionality through repeatable ground and flight test procedures
• Troubleshoot and repair software and hardware issues on-site
• Summarize test results with qualitative and quantitative analysis
• Escalate flight performance anomalies to engineering and safety
• Enforce and improve site safety
• Manage risks for prototype flights
• Run briefings and debriefs and refine SOPs

Required qualifications

• FAA Part 107 certification
• Experience piloting drones or manned aircraft
• Demonstrated aeronautical decision making and accountability
• Experience owning go/no-go decisions
• Experience creating preflight checklists
• Experience escalating safety incidents with clear documentation
• Comfortable working in failure-heavy, iterative field environments
• Able to lift and move 50+ lb equipment
• Able to work outdoors for multi-hour test windows
• Ability to own test campaigns end-to-end
• Ability to document results clearly
• Ability to coordinate across engineering, safety, and manufacturing

Nice to have

• Linux command-line comfort
• rapid-prototyping skills (3D printing, basic machining)
• experience with automated flight systems

About the company

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. They operate an autonomous logistics system to deliver food, medicine, and essential goods.