Flight Test Engineer • Medium Altitude UAS (Palmdale, CA) at DCS Corporation

Salary Range: $134,548 - 187,000.00

In this role you will provide full spectrum Flight Test Engineering support for the USAF Medium Altitude Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MAUAS) Division at designated government and commercial facilities in the Palmdale, California, area.

DCS is an employee-owned company focused on providing engineering, programmatic, and technical support services to the Department of Defense and other national security customers.

This position requires on-site work at General Atomics corporate facilities and various government support locations.

Essential Job Functions:

Serve as a flight test engineer for developmental test efforts, and assist the Government in performing all facets of flight testing, from initial planning and operations through execution, data collection, reduction and analysis, report writing and recommendations to ensure on-time completion.

Provide advisory, review, or draft documentation for development of test plans and safety packages generated by the USAF, prime weapon system contractor, and associated contractors. Support includes, but is not limited to, attending test planning working groups and test interface meetings.

Interfaces with various test organizations to support test and safety plan approvals, communicates program office priorities, and works daily scheduling issues. Also interfaces with the prime contractor and subcontractors to support the prioritization and scheduling of test item modifications, maintenance, and flight test requirements.

Reviews and identifies potential issues relating to modification packages for air vehicles, ground control stations, and other support equipment.

Facilitates the scheduling of unique test resources for such efforts including, but not limited to, range, weapons, etc., and supports the long-term scheduling of flight test activities.

Reviews proposals for validity, and identifies potential discrepancies relating to flight test requirements.

Provides test advice, recommends priorities, performs resource planning, identifies constraints, and recommends inputs into deficiency identification and correction actions.

Plans/executes system configurations and troubleshoots those configurations to support required sorties.

Assesses and/or evaluates both subjective and objective data acquired through test execution.

Develops briefings and reports as required to update program leadership on progress.

Supports any UAS incidents that require Safety and Accident Investigations.

Function as the Program Office and Staff Level Support interface for specified projects.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills:

Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.

BA/BS degree, and 15 years of aviation test engineering experience, 5 of which must be in the DoD OR MA/MS and 12 years of experience in the aviation test engineering field, of which 5 must be in the DoD.

Engineering degree must be from an ABET certified institution.

A fully adjudicated DoD Top Secret /Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance (SSBI/T5/T5R within the preceding five calendar years) is required on the First Day of employment.

Advanced knowledge, experience and recognized ability to be considered an aviation test engineering expert.

Possess the ability to perform tasks and oversee the efforts of junior and journeyman personnel within the aviation test engineering discipline.

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the aviation test operations discipline as well as possess a comprehensive understanding and ability to apply associated aviation test engineering standards, procedures, and practices.

Possess the knowledge, experience, and demonstrated ability to perform logistics and have a demonstrated ability to work independently and apply the proper procedures and process related to aviation test engineering.

Proven ability to problem solve and troubleshoot various situations to develop successful outcomes within established program/project guidelines.

Must be detail oriented and able to work within specified deadlines.

Clear ability to take ownership of issues and pursue potential resolutions through to completion.

Able to work both independently and in a team environment.