Full Description

Drone Flight Test Engineer Dracoe HQ / North Carolina

The Workshop

Full Time

The Workshop The Workshop is where ideas are transformed into capability and problems are solved.

It’s our engineering hub - where autonomous systems are conceived, built, tested, and refined to address real operational challenges.

Spanning the entire UAS ecosystem, our work covers software, platform design, RF, propulsion, and beyond - all tightly integrated from concept to prototype.

Our environment is transparent and experimentation-driven. We encourage rapid iteration, early learning, and constructive challenge, creating space for bold thinking and technical excellence.

By empowering exceptional engineers to explore, test, and improve without friction, The Workshop consistently delivers smarter, more resilient systems.

Role This role gives you ownership over flight testing, performance and operational evaluation of Group 1 and 2 UAS platforms and their supporting sub-systems. You will translate high-level company objectives into structured, data-driven flight test campaigns that accelerate development while maintaining operational safety and regulatory compliance. Working at the intersection of aerospace, robotics, autonomy, and real-world operations, you will take aircraft from prototype through envelope expansion and operational readiness validation. This role covers test planning, instrumentation, flight operations, and data-driven problem solving. This is a hands-on, flight-focused role for ambitious engineers who want systems to perform in real-world conditions.

Responsibilities Translate objectives into structured test campaigns, verification plans, and flight envelopes for both VTOL and fixed-wing operations Lead flight operations including pre-flight briefs, risk assessments, test card execution, Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs), and Go/No-Go decisions Define instrumentation, telemetry, and data requirements to support engineering decision-making and establish fast feedback loops between flight test and design teams Manage scheduling and coordination of aircraft, pilots, airspace, and ground systems while ensuring compliance with FAA regulations (Part 107, Part 91 Experimental, or other applicable frameworks) Track anomalies, drive root cause investigations through closure, and communicate flight test results clearly to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders Build scalable test infrastructure, establish standard operating procedures and safety processes, and mentor junior flight test engineers to develop a strong safety culture Work closely with cross-functional teams including software, controls, manufacturing, and systems engineering to prioritize test resources based on program risk and aircraft maturity Experience

• 3+ years in flight test, systems test, aircraft development, or related engineering roles