Experimental Test Pilot - VTOL

ANDURIL INDUSTRIES • Costa Mesa, CA

71d • $142,000 - $220,000

About The Position

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years. At Anduril we are developing unmanned aerial systems capable of terminal guidance, long range intelligence collection, precision relative and global navigation, and unsupervised autonomy. The Test and Evaluation team works across the entire spectrum of products ranging from Lattice Ghost UAS, Sentry Tower, cUAS, missile, Fury and many of our other platforms. As a Experimental Test Pilot, you will support the development and field testing of a clean-sheet novel Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) uncrewed air system. In this position you will prepare aircraft for flight, conduct flight tests of the aircraft as the test pilot, and support the test engineering team during product development through the life of the developmental aircraft.

Requirements

• Long-course graduate of a recognized test pilot school (TPS).
• 15+ years flight test experience, including first flight of new aircraft and envelope expansion.
• 1,000 hours Pilot-in-Command time or 500 hours in unmanned aircraft.
• Civilian Commercial license with Instrument Rating.
• Valid FAA Class 3 Medical, or international equivalent.
• Ability to travel as required to support off-site aircraft testing.
• Ability to understand new concepts quickly; apply them accurately; organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases; and determine the appropriate approach at the task level or, with assistance, at the project level to provide solutions to a range of complex problems.
• Strong communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with emphasis on technical subjects and the authoring of numerous technical documents which support the safe operation of the aircraft.
• Experience providing direct support authoring flight manuals and technical documentation necessary to operate developmental aircraft, and delivering configuration controlled publications to the customer.
• Specialized training and experience in flying and evaluating new or significantly modified aircraft, systems, or technologies.
• Strong computer and technical software experience (MATLAB, JIRA, DOORS, MS Office, CATIA, 3DX).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; able to perform complex tasks.
• Able to work extended and irregular hours.

Nice To Haves

• 20+ years experience as a test pilot working with developmental aircraft.
• 2,000 hours Pilot-in-Command time or 500 hours in unmanned aircraft.
• Masters in Aerospace Engineering, or engineering related technical discipline.
• Previous experience as PIC of high performance rotorcraft or eVTOL aircraft.
• Previous experience as a Test Pilot with a supporting telemetry room.
• First flight experience on a developmental manned or large UAS aircraft.

Responsibilities

• Help develop system test procedures and be directly involved in laboratory environment and surrogate open-air environment testing.
• Perform as a guiding member within the Test and Evaluation team and regularly interface with the rest of the test team, design office, and customer representatives.
• Be directly responsible for the safe flight of the aircraft and hold an advisory position on various safety reviews, design, and airworthiness reviews.
• Be directly involved with ground and flight testing of developmental aircraft to determine compliance with specification, validation of airworthiness and operational suitability.
• Work side-by-side with the Flight Test Engineers and Discipline Engineers to develop safe, effective and efficient test procedures, evaluate system and test safety, and verify the functional design of the system.
• Participate in flight operations efforts and support the direction of the flight test program.
• Work with other test pilots to develop Human Machine Interfaces, author flight procedures, develop and verify emergency procedures, and be directly involved with test team and control room training.
• Review test procedures, flight test plans, flight test cards, operating limitations, flight test schedules, flight test support documents, and ground handling documents in preparation for ground and flight testing.
• Attend system design and configuration control meetings and provide input to work through and decide on opening or closure/solutions for change requests.
• Develop creative solutions to unique problems faced with technical and execution challenges.

Benefits

• Platinum Healthcare Benefits: For U.S. roles, we offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.
• For UK roles, Private Medical Insurance (PMI): Anduril will cover the full cost of the insurance premium for an employee and dependents.
• For AUS roles, Private health plan through Bupa: Coverage is fully subsidized by Anduril.
• Basic Life/AD&D and long-term disability insurance 100% covered by Anduril, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a holiday hiatus in December, and highly competitive PTO plans.
• 16 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave to care for a family member, bond with your baby, or tend to your own medical condition.
• Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility (eg, IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits and resources to provide support from planning to parenting.
• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy, life coaching, and more.
• A professional development stipend is available to all Andurilians.
• Daily Meals and Provisions: For many of our offices this means breakfast, lunch and fully stocked micro-kitchens.
• Company-funded commuter benefits available based on your region.
• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility).
• 401(k) retirement savings plan - both a traditional and Roth 401(k). (US roles only)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees