Senior UAV Pilot / Drone Flight Test Engineer
Cannon Dynamics
New Milton, Hampshire
Permanent, Full-time
Job details
Job type
Location
New Milton, Hampshire
Benefits
- Free parking
- Company pension
- On-site parking
Cannon Dynamics design, develop, and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective, providing our operators with an edge in highly contested environments.
We are focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems.
Full job description
We are seeking a highly capable Senior UAV Pilot / Flight Test Engineer to lead the testing, evaluation and acceptance of our aircraft and support the continued development of our flight operations capability.
We are looking for someone with a strong technical background who is comfortable operating, configuring, troubleshooting and testing complex UAV systems.
The successful candidate will be equally comfortable flying aircraft, analysing logs, configuring systems in Mission Planner, diagnosing faults and working directly with engineers to improve platform performance and reliability.
The role is ideally suited to someone with significant experience who enjoys solving technical problems in a fast-paced engineering environment.
Role Overview
As Senior UAV Pilot / Flight Test Engineer, you will take ownership of flight testing activities across Cannon Dynamic’s product range.
You will be responsible for validating aircraft performance, identifying and resolving technical issues, ensuring safe operation of flight test activities and supporting the successful delivery of systems to customers.
Working closely with engineering and production teams, you will provide critical feedback on aircraft performance, reliability and airworthiness while helping to improve testing procedures and operational standards across the business.
You will also act as a senior technical resource within the flight operations team, supporting customer demonstrations, training activities and mentoring junior personnel where required.
Responsibilities
- Conduct pre-flight inspections, setup, configuration verification and airworthiness checks
- Plan and execute structured flight tests in accordance with test plans, safety procedures and operational requirements
- Operate UAV systems in manual, assisted and autonomous flight modes
- Evaluate aircraft handling, stability, navigation performance, communications links and payload operation
- Verify system performance against design requirements and acceptance criteria
- Make sound go/no-go decisions based on aircraft condition, environmental factors and operational risk
- Maintain safe and professional flight operations at all times
Key Responsibilities:
Flight Testing & Operations
- Conduct pre-flight inspections, setup, configuration verification and airworthiness checks
- Plan and execute structured flight tests in accordance with test plans, safety procedures and operational requirements
- Operate UAV systems in manual, assisted and autonomous flight modes
- Evaluate aircraft handling, stability, navigation performance, communications links and payload operation
- Verify system performance against design requirements and acceptance criteria
- Make sound go/no-go decisions based on aircraft condition, environmental factors and operational risk
- Maintain safe and professional flight operations at all times
Technical Troubleshooting & Fault Diagnosis
- Identify, reproduce and diagnose hardware, software, integration and configuration issues
- Analyse DataFlash logs, telemetry data and flight performance data to determine root causes of faults
- Troubleshoot issues involving:
- Flight controllers
- GPS and navigation systems
- Telemetry links
- Radio control systems
- Power distribution systems
- Payload integrations
- Communications equipment
- Work closely with engineering and production teams to implement corrective actions
- Support ground testing, bench testing and system integration activities
- Validate fixes and confirm aircraft readiness for deployment
System Configuration & Verification
- Configure and maintain systems using Mission Planner and associated tools
- Manage firmware updates, parameter configuration and vehicle setup
- Verify vehicle configurations prior to testing and delivery
- Maintain configuration records and version control processes
- Support development and refinement of standard operating procedures and testing processes
Documentation & Reporting
- Produce accurate and detailed flight test reports
- Document faults, anomalies, corrective actions and lessons learned
Pay: £35,000.00-£70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: Hybrid remote in New Milton BH25 5NU
