Mission Operations Specialist (Pilot)

Odys Aviation • Long Beach, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Odys is developing safe, sustainable aircraft to reduce travel time on busy corridors. Their flagship aircraft, Alta, aims to bypass airport hassles by using city helipads and local airports for inter-city travel, significantly reducing CO2 emissions. Initially, they are deploying a UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions, with launch partners like Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, and the US Navy starting in 2026. The team comprises experienced engineers from deep tech and aerospace backgrounds, known for rapid iteration and expertise in aircraft certification. They have a history of developing custom drones, bringing automotive platforms to production, and electrifying transportation vehicles. The company is seeking a skilled UAV Pilot to join their Flight Test & Operations team as a Mission Operations Specialist. This role involves serving as the primary Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) for developmental eVTOL UAV platforms, piloting complex aircraft from a Ground Control Station (GCS) during live test events. The specialist will also manage the operational and regulatory aspects, including GCS integration, drafting Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), securing flight authorizations, and collaborating with engineering to ensure safe mission profiles. A strong background in flight testing and knowledge of EASA JARUS SORA and FAA Part 107/108 regulations are crucial for advancing aircraft from R&D to commercial certification.

Requirements

• Active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate with a proven logbook demonstrating significant flight hours as an RPIC on complex UAS or developmental eVTOL UAV platforms.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience piloting complex, multi-rotor, or thrust-vectored vertical lift UAVs in an R&D, experimental, or operational test environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aviation, or a related technical field.
• Professional experience in experimental, R&D, or certification flight test programs — whether as a UAV operator/pilot, Flight Test Engineer, or both.
• Practical experience executing the EASA JARUS SORA process, coupled with deep expertise in the FAA Part 107 and FAA Part 108 frameworks for complex or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
• Hands-on experience with Ground Control Station (GCS) integration, specifically focusing on: Command and Control (C2) link architecture and performance validation, Datalink integration (telemetry, video, and command streams), Hardware and software payload integration.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with additional FAA aircraft certification frameworks (e.g., Part 21, Part 23, Part 27).
• Experience with flight test data analysis software (e.g., IADS, MATLAB, Python) to support rapid R&D iterations.
• Human Factors Evaluation Experience — pilot interface design, workload assessment, GCS ergonomics, or HMI evaluation in flight test settings.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary pilot at the Ground Control Station (GCS) during live experimental flight tests, safely executing mission profiles on complex, novel eVTOL UAV architectures.
• Translate engineering objectives into safe, executable flight test plans and pilot them dynamically within a rapid prototyping and testing environment.
• Lead the development of Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and operational risk assessments.
• Secure flight authorizations and waivers by applying the EASA JARUS SORA framework alongside FAA Part 107 and FAA Part 108 (BVLOS) regulations.
• Take ownership of the integration, testing, and troubleshooting of Ground Control Stations (GCS). Ensure seamless command, control, and telemetry flow between the GCS and aircraft via C2 links and high-bandwidth datalinks.
• Manage the integration, functional testing, and operational deployment of various R&D flight test payloads (e.g., telemetry equipment, optical sensors, ballast systems).
• Apply established UAS flight test methodologies to optimize test efficiency, safety, and operational procedures for our autonomous eVTOL UAV platforms.
• Collaborate closely with R&D engineering teams to analyze post-flight telemetry, evaluate handling qualities, validate C2 link robustness, and refine vehicle design based on real-world flight execution.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level