Flight Test Engineer

Department: Core Engineering

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Employment Type: FullTime

About Poseidon Aerospace:

Poseidon Aerospace is reimagining how the world moves goods. We build and operate full-size autonomous cargo aircraft; Heron, a seaplane, and Egret, a STOL aircraft; each capable of carrying two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. From remote communities to contested logistics operations, our platforms unlock a new cost curve for air freight, making it faster, cheaper, and accessible anywhere it's needed. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with locations in Washington DC, Oregon, and Maine; we're building something consequential.

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.

• Instrumentation & Integration: Define requirements for and support the installation of flight test instrumentation (FTI), sensors (strain gauges, load cells, pitot-static systems), and data acquisition systems onboard the test assets.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Avionics, Propulsion, Flight Controls, and Structural design, Flight Sciences, and Airplane Configuration Design teams to define objective pass/fail validation criteria.

• Safety & Operations: Lead pre-flight briefings and post-test debriefs. Enforce strict safety protocols on the flight line, identifying operational risks and implementing rapid mitigation strategies.

• Reporting & Documentation: Maintain meticulous traceability between regulatory/design requirements and test results. Write formal flight test reports documenting system anomalies, performance metrics, and airworthiness findings.

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.

• Systems Familiarity: Strong foundational knowledge of data acquisition systems (DAQ), telemetry hardware, and sensor calibration.

• Field Readiness: Hands-on problem solver comfortable troubleshooting complex electrical, mechanical, or software anomalies on the flight line. Willingness to work outdoors at active test ranges under varying weather conditions.

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 get from us

• Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity

• Relocation support if applicable

• Employee Health Benefit Plans

• 6% Retirement matching

• Flexible 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.