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FlightWave Aerospace - A Red Cat Company · 2 weeks ago

Senior Flight Test Engineer

Carson, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$132K/yr - $176K/yr

7+ years exp

FlightWave Aerospace, a subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings, is seeking a Senior-level Flight Test Engineer to support the validation of advanced unmanned aircraft systems. This role focuses on bridging engineering and field testing, developing and executing test plans to validate performance and reliability of their platforms.

AerospaceData Collection and LabelingTransportation

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Develop and execute system- and vehicle-level validation test strategies for airborne electromechanical systems

Design and conduct structured flight test campaigns, including performance verification, mission simulation, and failure mode testing

Support the design and execution of environmental stress testing (vibration, shock, thermal, moisture/ingress, fatigue)

Define test plans, test cards, and safety procedures for engineering and production aircraft

Apply techniques such as Design of Experiments (DOE), regression, or capability analysis to analyze test results and support design decisions

Build custom test setups, test fixtures, and data acquisition tools as needed for repeatable validation

Partner with GNC, avionics, mechanical, and software teams to verify system-level requirements and qualify engineering changes

Document test results, root cause findings, and corrective actions to inform design and production teams

Qualification

Flight testingSystems validationUAV developmentFAA Part 107 CertificateAvionics understandingData analysisC++PythonTest automationEnvironmental testingGCS tools familiarity

Required

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Software, Physics, or a related technical field

7+ years in system testing, QA or QC

3-7 years of experience in flight testing, systems validation, or UAV development

Strong understanding of avionics, telemetry, controls, and validation processes

Demonstrated experience executing structured flight test plans and analyzing data

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (or ability to obtain)

Hands-on experience operating both quadrotor and fixed-wing UAVs in real-world conditions

Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs unassisted

Comfortable working outdoors in a variety of environmental conditions, including heat, cold, wind, and uneven terrain

Must be able to stand, kneel, or crouch for extended periods during field setup and testing

Capable of safely operating vehicles for travel to and between flight test sites

Willingness to work occasional extended hours to support testing schedules, including early mornings or weekends as needed

Preferred

Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or other open-source autopilot systems

Familiarity with GCS tools such as QGroundControl or Mission Planner

Experience with vibration, shock, thermal, and environmental testing methodologies

Background in C++ and/or Python for test automation or data analysis

Experience with DFMEA/PFMEA, failure investigation, or component qualification

Experience with HIL testing, data acquisition systems, or custom test setups

Benefits

Generous annual equity package

Potential bonuses

Company

FlightWave Aerospace - A Red Cat Company

FlightWave Aerospace is a division of Red Cat, focused on delivering extended short-range, endurance-optimized uncrewed aircraft for mission-critical operations.

Founded in 2014

Santa Monica, California, USA

51-200 employees