Senior UAS Flight Test & Assurance Engineer

Our client, a leader in the aerospace sector, is seeking a Senior UAS Flight Test & Assurance Engineer to join their innovative team. This permanent role focuses on flight-test planning, test execution, assurance evidence generation, operational approval support, and the potential for future leadership in Verification & Validation (V&V).

Key Responsibilities:

Supporting the planning and delivery of UAS ground-test, integration-test and flight-test campaigns
Developing and maintaining test plans, test cards, procedures, readiness reviews, risk controls, and post-test reports
Translating regulatory, operational approval, SORA/SAIL, CS-21, safety and system requirements into practical test and assurance evidence
Working with regulatory and airspace integration leads to identify applicable requirements and support regulator-facing technical discussions
Coordinating strategy for test and assurance plans, while driving execution across campaigns
Supporting logistics, site readiness, equipment planning, test asset preparation, and operational coordination for flight-test deployments
Driving assurance of complex technical mitigations, including software-enabled functions, detect-and-avoid, collision-risk modelling, and autonomy-related safety claims
Identifying practical COTS systems, tools, sensors, software, ground systems, or test capabilities that may satisfy technical assurance needs faster, cheaper or with lower integration risk
Supporting the creation of evidence needed for operational approvals, technical risk closure, safety cases, and future certification maturity
Working closely with engineering, safety, software, regulatory and flight-operations teams to ensure test activity produces credible, traceable, and usable evidence
Building scalable validation and verification practices that can grow from SAIL 2 activity towards SAIL 6 and CS-21-stage programme requirements

Job Requirements:

Strong background in flight test, test engineering, UAS operations, aerospace systems engineering, aviation assurance, airworthiness or safety-critical systems testing
Practical understanding of test planning, test execution, readiness reviews, hazard controls, evidence generation, and technical risk closure
Comfortable working in field-test environments, not just office-based planning
Able to read, interpret, and apply aviation regulatory material, operational approval requirements, and technical standards
Strong ability to turn requirements, hazards, and assurance needs into executable test activities
Able to engage credibly with internal specialists, regulators, operators, and technical stakeholders
High agency, strong judgement, and willingness to work flexibly in an early-stage programme
Clear written communication and disciplined approach to test evidence, configuration, and reporting

Highly Desirable:

Experience with UAS, HAPS, HALE, autonomous aircraft, eVTOL, defence aviation, novel aircraft or flight-test programmes
Familiarity with SORA, SAIL, CAA/EASA environments, CS-21 or equivalent aviation certification, and operational approval processes
Experience with detect-and-avoid, autonomy assurance, collision-risk modelling, simulation, safety cases, or software-enabled safety functions
Experience identifying, integrating, or evaluating COTS systems to meet assurance, test, or operational approval needs
Previous involvement in building a V&V, test, flight-test or assurance function within a growing programme

Benefits:

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge aerospace projects
Professional development and career growth prospects
Collaborative and innovative work environment
Comprehensive employee benefits package
If you are a talented engineer with significant experience in flight test and assurance, looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity in a leading aerospace company, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our client's dynamic team
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed