Flight Test Operator — Autonomous Aircraft

Job overview

The Flight Test Operator — Autonomous Aircraft role is onsite at a Zipline test site in Esparto, CA, with outdoor and field conditions. Pay is $34–$38 per hour. Zipline operates an autonomous drone delivery system for food, medicine, and other essential goods. The operator executes high-volume flight tests to assess aircraft and delivery-system safety, reliability, and readiness. Repeatable testing, troubleshooting, and clear reporting help identify risks before they reach customers and turn test findings into improvements in system performance.

What you'll do

• Execute daily flight test campaigns as Remote Pilot in Command for autonomous aircraft
• conduct mission profiles, reliability, regression, and fault-injection testing
• validate performance through ground and flight procedures
• troubleshoot and repair software and hardware issues onsite
• analyze and summarize test results
• escalate anomalies and safety risks
• conduct safety briefings and debriefings
• refine standard operating procedures
• identify improvements to test throughput, consistency, data quality, and efficiency.

What we're looking for

Skills & competencies

flight test operator

autonomous aircraft

esparto ca

zipline

drone testing

faa part 107

remote pilot in command

flight safety

reliability testing

$34–$38/hr

night and weekend work

yolo county relocation

regional travel

Work arrangement

• Weekend coverage required

Why this role

Requires FAA Part 107 certification at time of joining and experience piloting drones or manned aircraft. Must be willing to work some nights and weekends, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and relocate to Yolo County, CA. Occasional regional travel between test sites may be required.

About the employer

Zipline is hiring for this role. Industry: Other Support Activities for Air Transportation. Sector: 48.