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Applied Intuition • San Diego, California, United States
Salary: $155,000 - $190,000 / year
Role & seniority: Flight Test Engineer (senior-level, high autonomy)
Stack/tools: End-to-end flight test planning and execution; data analysis; safety protocols; test plans, reports, hazard analyses; flight operations coordination; experience with aviation test workflows and DoD/defense navigation
Own end-to-end test programs: develop and execute comprehensive test plans for complex flight systems
Lead mission-critical ground/flight test operations: manage logistics, hardware/software deployment, and safety
Bridge field and lab: perform initial data analysis and provide actionable observations to engineering teams
High initiative and ability to influence test programs
Deep understanding of US Defense space and ability to navigate DoD orgs
Experience in acquisition, test, and evaluation of aviation products
Advanced technical degree in aerospace; completed NTPS/USAFTPS/Navy TPS or equivalent
Ability to craft and lead test objectives, plans, reviews, safety analyses, and test cards
Experience communicating between technical experts and vehicle operators; experience as test conductor/director
Willingness to travel up to 50%; US citizen; active security clearance
Prior military flight test experience
FAA sUAS airspace experience; autopilot ops (QGroundControl, Pixhawk, MAVLink)
FAA Part 107 license or private pilot license
Prior deployment for flight t
About Applied Intuition Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co. We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. About the role Applied Intuition is seeking a dynamic Flight Test Engineer to accelerate the validation of autonomous aerial systems. You will collaborate with engineering leadership to conduct full-system development testing, bridging the gap between virtual autonomy stacks and physical aircraft performance.
End-to-End Test Ownership: Lead the strategic development and execution of comprehensive test plans, operating with high autonomy to define the roadmap for validating complex flight systems.
Mission-Critical Execution: Direct ground and flight test operations at private and government ranges, managing everything from resource logistics to the safe, rigorous deployment of hardware and software.
Data-Driven Collaboration: Bridge the gap between the field and the lab by performing initial data analysis and providing engineering teams with the technical observations needed to iterate on autonomy stacks.
Process Architecture: Design and refine standardized testing procedures and safety protocols to ensure rapid, reliable system evaluation in a fast-paced development environment
This role can be based in one of the following locations: Washington, DC; or Fort Walton Beach, FL, San Diego, CA or Ann Arbor, MI. Relocation offered.
For more information about U.S. security clearances: click here.