Drone Pilot - Clearance Required
About The Position
LMI is seeking a Drone Pilot / Autonomy Test Operator to support a Department of War mission partner on site at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This in-person role combines tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations, autonomy testing, and rapid capability development. The selected candidate will conduct flight operations, support testing, and provide operational feedback to engineers and developers to inform system performance and future capability development. The position contributes to fielding autonomous and semi-autonomous unmanned systems across the Department of War. The role includes tactical FPV flight execution, autonomy testing and human-machine teaming, and rapid capability iteration with engineers and developers. The candidate serves as an operational test asset, providing real-world feedback to support system development. An active Secret clearance is required.
Requirements
- Active Secret clearance.
- At least 5 years of operational UAS/FPV experience in military, government, or defense industry environments.
- Advanced FPV flight proficiency, including Acro Mode and precision maneuvering.
- Experience conducting operations in dynamic or contested environments.
- Strong understanding of aeronautical decision-making (ADM) and UAS risk management.
- Experience with UAS system integration, testing, or evaluation.
- Ability to operate in high-tempo, ambiguous environments.
- Ability to operate outdoors in austere environments for extended periods.
- Ability to lift and carry equipment up to 50 pounds.
- Willingness to travel 0–25%.
Nice To Haves
- SOF or tactical military experience with UAS integration.
- Instructor or evaluator experience in UAS operations.
- Experience with FPV system builds, soldering, and fabrication.
- Familiarity with Betaflight, PX4, ArduPilot, and RF systems such as Crossfire and ELRS.
- Experience operating in GPS-denied or EW-contested environments.
- Knowledge of DoD Test & Evaluation processes.
- TS/SCI clearance.
Responsibilities
- Conduct advanced FPV and Group 1–2 UAS flight operations in dynamic and contested environments.
- Execute test scenarios, mission profiles, and evaluation events in support of autonomy development.
- Operate across manual, assisted, and autonomous control modes.
- Maintain safe multi-vehicle operations in complex airspace and RF environments.
- Plan and execute flight test events, including pre-flight, execution, and post-flight analysis.
- Capture operational data and contribute to formal test reporting.
- Support rapid prototyping and iterative development cycles.
- Configure, troubleshoot, and repair FPV and UAS systems.
- Integrate payloads, communications systems, and mission-specific components.
- Optimize system performance for operational use.
- Work directly with engineers, developers, and government stakeholders.
- Translate operator feedback into actionable technical insights.
- Support capability development and system refinement efforts.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
