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Ideal Aerosmith Inc. · 1 day ago

UAV, Director of Flight Operations

Grand Forks, ND

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

10+ years exp

Ideal Aerosmith Inc. is a leading supplier of precision inertial guidance test systems and aerospace test engineering services. The UAV, Director of Flight Operations is responsible for establishing and leading Group 3 UAS flight operations, ensuring safe and standardized operations while building and training a qualified team of UAV pilots and Ground Control Station crewmembers.

ElectronicsManufacturing

Responsibilities

Establish and oversee all Group 3 UAS flight operations supporting developmental test, operational test, production acceptance, and customer demonstrations

Serve as the senior authority for flight operations discipline, crew standardization, and operational risk management

Ensure flight operations are executed in accordance with FAA regulations, Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COA), range safety requirements, and DoW test protocols

Build, train, and sustain a qualified cadre of UAV pilots and GCS crewmembers

Develop and maintain pilot and crew training syllabi for Group 3 UAS platforms

Establish Crew Resource Management (CRM) standards tailored to unmanned and distributed operations

Author and maintain flight training manuals, standard operating procedures, and qualification standards

Define initial qualification, currency, and requalification requirements for flight crews

Act as the primary flight operations interface with the FAA, test ranges, and regulatory authorities

Support COA development, amendments, and operational compliance in coordination with internal stakeholders

Coordinate with government customers and test sites to align operational procedures and safety expectations

Oversee flight crew scheduling, crew availability, and sortie support planning

Provide operational input to flight test planning products, test cards, CONOPS, and risk assessments

Ensure flight operations are resourced and aligned to support high-tempo test and production schedules

Work closely with engineering, maintenance, safety, and program teams to enable safe sortie generation and rapid issue resolution

Provide operational feedback to inform system design, autonomy development, and human-machine interface improvements

Support operational test readiness reviews, safety reviews, and government demonstrations

Qualification

UAS flight operationsFAA regulationsOperational risk managementTraining program designGroup 3 UAS platformsLeadership skillsSafety management systemsTAK-based systemsCommunication skillsMentorship skillsFast-paced environment