Uas Flight Test Lead

DoorDash DoorDash · Consumer · San Francisco, CA · 631 Autonomy Operations

This role focuses on leading flight test operations and operational readiness for drone delivery, managing a team of Flight Test Operators, and translating engineering requests into execution plans. It involves coordinating with cross-functional teams, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance, and applying feedback loops for commercialization. The role requires strong operational leadership, hands-on drone flight experience, understanding of autonomous systems, and experience with specific drone platforms.

What you'd actually do

  1. owning day-to-day flight test execution and operational readiness across test sites
  2. leading and mentoring a team of Flight Test Operators
  3. translating engineering test requests into structured execution plans and test cards
  4. coordinating execution across Engineering, Safety, Product, and Leadership
  5. ensuring regulatory, airspace, and internal safety compliance

Skills

Required

  • FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
  • drone flight experience
  • understanding of autonomous systems
  • experience with PX4, ArduPilot, Auterion, or Herelink-based systems
  • operational leadership
  • team leadership
  • flight test execution
  • safety compliance
  • regulatory compliance
  • airspace knowledge
  • structured testing
  • problem-solving
  • communication

Nice to have

  • mentoring
  • building operational culture

What the JD emphasized

  • regulatory, airspace, and internal safety compliance
  • structured testing and feedback loops
  • continuous improvement
  • technical issues in the field
  • set the standard for safety, execution quality, and testing
  • decision-making in dynamic, real-world flight environments
  • structured test plans and test cards
  • structured testing discipline and feedback loops
  • scalable operational workflows, training standards, and documentation
  • validate autonomous systems
  • new test capabilities, aircraft, and sites are safely introduced into operations
  • complex operational and technical problems
  • cross-site coordination and transportation
  • leadership on progress, risks, and operational performance
  • strong operational leadership
  • experience leading teams in field-based or safety-critical environments
  • current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
  • understand airspace and regulatory requirements
  • hands-on drone flight experience
  • strong operational judgment
  • understand how drones and autonomous systems operate
  • worked with PX4, ArduPilot, Auterion, or Herelink-based systems
  • organized, executable operational plans, including test card planning, risk management, and prior proper planning to ensure safe execution with sufficient personnel
  • communicate effectively with engineers, operators, and leadership
  • provide clear feedback
  • mentor team members
  • build strong operational culture
  • collaborative problem solver who thrives in fast-moving environments
  • high standards for safety, documentation, and accountability
  • operational efficiency
  • partner closely with Maintenance leadership to track aircraft status, readiness, and utilization