Senior Flight Test Engineer - Software Automation

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

9d•$150,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Skydio is seeking an experienced software automation engineer to lead the Flight Test Automation Pod and scale validation of autonomous flight. The role designs and owns automated test systems spanning CI, simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and real-world flight. It will introduce AI-supported workflows for test creation, execution, and analysis, and define test coverage approaches that help ensure reliable releases. The position is part of the Product Integrity organization, which owns product quality from new product introduction through end of life across hardware and software. The role shapes how quickly and reliably Skydio ships new capabilities to customers. Compensation for regular, full-time employees includes a base salary of $150,000–$200,000, stock options, and comprehensive benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided for eligible roles.

Requirements

At least 6 years of experience in software testing, automation, or test infrastructure, ideally in a cross-functional, complex hardware/software environment.
A track record of setting technical direction and driving adoption across teams.
Strong Python skills and experience building maintainable, well-structured test frameworks and infrastructure.
Hands-on experience with CI/CD systems and integrating automated tests into build pipelines.
Experience applying AI and agentic workflows to software development or testing.
Ability to define and measure test coverage across complex systems.
Proficiency with mobile and browser automation tools such as Appium, Playwright, or Selenium.
Obtain FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment.

Nice To Haves

Background in aviation, drones, embedded systems, robotics simulation, or hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Responsibilities

Lead the Flight Test Automation Pod by setting technical direction, owning the roadmap, and mentoring engineers who contribute to automation.
Own automated test workflows across mobile, browser, and integrated hardware/software systems, from simulation through real-world flight.
Establish and own CI test pipelines that automatically validate every build and provide developers with fast, actionable feedback.
Design an extensible test framework that scales across teams and enables engineers to add and maintain their own tests.
Apply AI-assisted and agentic workflows to test generation, failure triage, and flight log analysis.
Define test coverage metrics tied to requirements and risk, and use them to guide test strategy, reduce manual effort, and focus flight time.
Partner with software, flight test, and reliability engineering leads to shape testing plans and priorities.