Aerial Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI, we're developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.

The Role
We're hiring a Flight Test Engineer to join our Mission Operations team. This role focuses on the development, testing, and operationalization of Scout's autonomous aerial systems. You will play a critical role in accelerating product development through disciplined flight testing, structured evaluation, and close collaboration with engineering.

You will be responsible for designing and executing structured flight test plans, operating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in real-world environments, collecting and analyzing flight and system data, and generating clear reports that drive engineering decisions. You will also support customer demonstrations and ensure systems are prepared for both internal testing and external deployment.

You will spend most of your time in the field at test ranges and flight environments. This role requires adaptability, strong technical aptitude, and the ability to move seamlessly between flight operations, troubleshooting systems, configuring payloads, and providing structured feedback to engineers. Your work directly drives flight safety, autonomy performance, and mission readiness.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute structured flight tests to evaluate autonomy performance, flight stability, navigation, and mission behaviors
• Operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) safely in real-world environments, including pre-flight, in-flight monitoring, and post-flight procedures
• Conduct pre-flight inspections, system checks, and airworthiness assessments to ensure safe operation
• Collect, document, and organize high-quality flight and system data; identify failures, edge cases, and performance gaps
• Analyze flight test results and generate clear, concise reports with findings and actionable recommendations
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and system-level issues in field environments
• Support integration and validation of payloads, sensors (EO/IR, GPS, IMU), and autonomy software
• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to translate flight test observations into prioritized product improvements
• Support customer demonstrations and flight evaluations, ensuring systems are safe, reliable, and professionally executed
• Contribute to the development of repeatable flight test procedures, safety protocols, and validation frameworks
• Prepare and manage deployment logistics including aircraft setup, ground control systems, batteries, spares, and field site staging

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or related field) or equivalent hands-on experience
• 3+ years of experience operating, maintaining, or testing unmanned aerial systems (UAS), drones, or similar platforms
• Strong understanding of flight operations, safety procedures, and pre/post-flight workflows
• Strong troubleshooting skills across mechanical, electrical, and software systems
• Experience executing structured test plans, collecting flight data, and documenting results clearly
• Comfortable working in dynamic outdoor environments with frequent travel (25-50%)
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate closely with engineering and cross-functional teams
• High ownership mentality, attention to detail, and commitment to safety and disciplined execution
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
• Passion about defense of the United States and its allies
• May be expected to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Why Join Scout

• Work on the world's most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines
• Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model
• Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security
• See your work deployed on real systems
• Help define the future of intelligent defense systems
• Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, and other top investors

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and bonus
• Meaningful equity
• Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution
• Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar
• Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen
• EV charging
• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)