Senior Flight Ops Technician

The role

You will build, repair and test prototype unmanned aircraft and their test systems. You will also support flight operations, including launch, recovery and field deployments, and work with hardware, software and flight-test engineers.

What you will do

• Build, modify, assemble, maintain and repair prototype unmanned aircraft and test systems
• Install and integrate avionics, sensors, compute hardware, radios, antennas, payloads and wiring
• Fabricate prototype and replacement parts using 3D printing, hand and power tools
• Build, modify and troubleshoot wiring harnesses, connectors and electrical assemblies
• Build, wire and maintain HIL rigs, test fixtures and engineering test infrastructure
• Diagnose mechanical, electrical, avionics, communications and system-level issues
• Support SIL, HIL, VIL, bench, ground and live-flight testing
• Perform aircraft inspections, maintenance, repairs and pre- and post-flight activities
• Support flight operations, including launch and recovery and test-site setup and teardown
• Mentor less-experienced technicians and maintain standards for workmanship, configuration control and safety

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in UAS, aviation, aerospace, robotics, electronics, manufacturing, test support or a related technical field
• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with experience building, maintaining or repairing complex electromechanical systems
• Experience integrating hardware into aircraft, robotics, prototypes or test systems
• Hands-on electrical experience, including wiring, connectors, soldering, crimping and electrical troubleshooting
• Experience building, maintaining or troubleshooting HIL rigs, test stands or test fixtures
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics and engineering documentation
• Experience with rapid prototyping, fabrication and iterative hardware development
• Ability to systematically troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications and system-level problems
• Experience using common mechanical and electrical tools and test equipment
• Experience supporting engineering, ground, flight or field testing
• Strong attention to detail, workmanship, safety and configuration control
• Ability to work independently in workshop, laboratory, flight-line and field environments

Nice to have

• Experience maintaining or integrating fixed-wing and multirotor UAS
• Experience with autonomous or experimental aircraft and Group 1 or Group 2 UAS
• Experience building or maintaining HIL environments for aircraft, robotics or autonomous systems
• Experience with 3D printing, CAD and prototype part fabrication
• Experience integrating avionics, flight computers, sensors, actuators, radios, antennas or payload systems
• Experience with PX4, ArduPilot or similar flight-control systems
• Familiarity with Ground Control Stations, telemetry, RF systems, datalinks and networking
• Familiarity with Linux, command-line tools, scripting or basic software troubleshooting
• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies or similar test equipment
• Experience establishing or maintaining an engineering lab, prototype shop, HIL lab or flight-operations facility

About the company

shieldai develops unmanned aircraft and test systems and runs prototyping and flight-operations work. The posting does not give further details about the company.