Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios and beyond.
About the role:
Skydio is seeking a Flight Test Engineer focused on Device Platform systems – the mobile and controller interfaces that connect pilots to autonomy. This role treats the human–machine interface as flight-critical, ensuring that control software performs reliably, intuitively, and predictably in real-world operations.
You’ll validate how customers interact with Skydio aircraft through mobile, controller, and handheld applications—testing workflows that span setup, flight, and recovery. You’ll work closely with mobile, embedded middleware, design, and other software hardware teams to expose edge cases, uncover usability risks, and shape customer experience.
This role is onsite in San Mateo, CA, with occasional travel to field test sites.
How you'll make an impact:
Plan and execute UI/UX validation campaigns for new software releases and features.
Design and run operator-in-the-loop flight tests to evaluate real-world usability and decision support.
Validate mobile and controller UI performance during live and simulated flight operations.
Create and automate smoke, regression, and sanity stress test suites for mobile control interfaces.
Measure and report on flight health, latency, responsiveness, input accuracy, and recovery behavior.
Identify human system interaction risks early and drive design and test mitigations.
Evaluate new features for repeatability, clarity, and operational stability.
Collect and analyze operator telemetry, logs, and screen recordings to guide design feedback.
You’ll Test and Validate
Ground control station (GCS) and mobile application workflows
Touch, gesture, and controller-based inputs
Mission planning and in-flight UI transitions
Alerts, warnings, and system state visibility
Performance under degraded GPS, comms, or RF conditions
Secure login, authentication, and access control flows
3rd-party software, device integrations, and peripherals
Human factors in safety- and autonomy-critical behaviors
Bring up of new controller devices and various platforms
You’ll partner with product, mobile software developers, middleware embedded teams, and design to define UX validation requirements, establish operational success metrics, and maintain safe, test-ready aircraft and controller environments.
What makes you a good fit:
Background in human factors, mobile UI/UX validation or design, flight testing, and/or real-world system testing
Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across mobile, embedded, and networked systems
Experience with UAS operations and high-reliability operator workflows
Understanding of human factors, usability engineering, and cognitive workload
Familiarity with Linux and embedded platforms (not required)
Strong documentation and technical communication skills
Passion for aviation, autonomy, and human-centered system design
Flying a lot!
Compensation:
At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $100,000 - 130,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.
*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.
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At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.
For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
Top Skills
What We Do
Skydio is the leading US drone company and world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial transportation. Our mission is to make the world more productive, creative, and safe with autonomous flight.
Why Work With Us
The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, and operational excellence to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users - from action sports enthusiasts to first responders to insurance claims adjusters.
