About Poseidon Aerospace Poseidon Aerospace builds and operates unmanned planes for commercial logistics and defense missions. Our two full-size fixed-wing platforms - Heron, a seaplane, and Egret, a STOL aircraft - can carry two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. We are headquartered in San Francisco with satellite offices in Washington, DC and Maine.

As a Flight Test Engineer at Poseidon Aerospace, you will lead the planning, preparation, and execution of flight and ground test campaigns across all Poseidon Aerospace flight platforms . You will bridge the gap between design engineering and real-world operations, taking full vehicle platforms from the laboratory environments straight to the flight line. This role requires a systems-level understanding of aircraft, a highly structured and safety-first approach to test execution, and the ability to analyze complex telemetry data into clear, actionable engineering results.

Responsibilities

• Test Planning & Coordination: Develop comprehensive flight test plans, test cards, and functional hazard analyses (FHA) for full-scale autonomous aircraft systems and subsystems.
• Flight Line Execution: Act as a Test Director or Responsible Engineer during ground runs, taxi tests, and envelope-expansion flight test events.
• Data & Telemetry Analysis: Monitor real-time telemetry during flights. Collect, process, and interpret flight test data using scripting tools to assess vehicle performance, stability, and control, overall system performance, engine performance, and fuel system performance.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years as an experimental flight test engineer, or in aerospace systems validation, or in UAS/aviation flight operations.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in related field or equivalent experience
• Airplane Familiarization: Overall airplane-level familiarization, including aircraft operations and performance across fixed-wing platforms.
• Testing Rigor: Proven track record drafting detailed flight test cards, managing test configurations, and operating within highly structured flight test environments.
• Data Tools: Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or similar languages for processing, reducing, and visualizing large flight-log datasets.

Bonus points for

• FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate or a private pilot’s license (PPL).
• Experience making aviation-standard VHF radio calls and communicating clearly in high-workload control room environments.
• Background working with heavy or large-scale remotely operated vehicles / autonomous systems (Group 3-5 UAS).
• Familiarity with FAA experimental certification processes, airworthiness standards, or military test protocols (MIL-STD).
• Basic CAD experience for designing simple test brackets, fixtures, or harness layouts.

What You’ll Get From Us

• Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity
• Relocation support if applicable
• Strong Employee Benefits
• 6% retirement matching
• Unlimited PTO
• Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked fridge at our offices
• AI tools and subscriptions

Even if you don't meet every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply. At Poseidon Aerospace, we value diverse perspectives and are always looking for talented individuals with unconventional backgrounds.