{"id":2845979,"url":"https://alion.io/job/shield-ai-senior-flight-ops-technician","title":"Senior Flight Ops Technician","company":{"id":50,"name":"Shield AI","domain":"shield.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/shield-ai","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":62,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.806,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":76,"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"}},"role":"Field & Service","role_family":"Field & Service","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Kyiv, Ukraine"],"countries":["UA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":19000,"max_usd":45000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":4666},"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"ArduPilot","optional":true},{"name":"Linux","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-19T09:05:04Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-19","last_verified_at":"2026-10-21T21:58:52Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"The Senior Flight Ops Technician is a senior, hands-on technical role supporting the development, testing, and operation of unmanned aircraft systems in Ukraine. The role bridges aircraft prototyping, hardware integration, HIL/ground testing, aircraft maintenance, and field flight operations, working closely with hardware, software, autonomy, and flight-test teams.\nThe technician will build and modify prototype aircraft, integrate avionics and electrical systems, fabricate parts using 3D printing and other rapid-prototyping methods, and troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications, and system-level issues. They will also build, maintain, and troubleshoot HIL rigs and related test infrastructure, help establish and maintain a local prototyping and flight-operations lab, and support aircraft readiness and field testing.\nThis role is best suited for a versatile, self-sufficient senior technician who can move seamlessly between the lab, aircraft, HIL environment, and flight-test site-rapidly solving problems and helping engineering teams get systems ready for test and flight.\nFlight Ops Technician III.\nWhat You'll Do:\nBuild, modify, assemble, maintain, and repair prototype unmanned aircraft and related test systems.\nInstall and integrate avionics, sensors, compute hardware, radios, antennas, payloads, wiring, and other experimental hardware.\nFabricate prototype and replacement components using 3D printing, hand and power tools, and other rapid-prototyping methods.\nBuild, modify, and troubleshoot wiring harnesses, connectors, electrical assemblies, and aircraft electrical systems.\nBuild, wire, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot HIL rigs, test fixtures, and related engineering test infrastructure.\nIntegrate flight computers, avionics, sensors, actuators, communications equipment, and other aircraft hardware into HIL and bench-test environments.\nDiagnose mechanical, electrical, avionics, communications, networking, and system-level issues across aircraft and test equipment.\nSupport SIL, HIL, VIL, bench, ground, and live-flight testing, including aircraft functional checks and troubleshooting.\nPerform aircraft inspections, maintenance, repairs, configuration changes, and pre- and post-flight activities.\nHelp establish and maintain a local prototyping and flight-operations lab, including tools, test equipment, fabrication equipment, spares, batteries, and support equipment.\nSupport flight operations, including aircraft setup, launch and recovery, test-site setup and teardown, and preparation of equipment for field deployments.\nMaintain aircraft, test-system, maintenance, configuration, inventory, and other technical documentation.\nWork closely with hardware, software, autonomy, and flight-test engineers to rapidly diagnose problems, implement modifications, and improve test capabilities.\nTransport personnel and equipment to test sites and travel within Ukraine to support testing, demonstrations, and operations.\nMentor less-experienced technicians and maintain high standards for workmanship, configuration control, organization, and safety.\nRequired Qualifications:\n5+ years of hands-on experience in UAS, aviation, aerospace, robotics, electronics, manufacturing, test support, or a related technical field.\nStrong mechanical and electrical aptitude with experience building, modifying, maintaining, or repairing complex electromechanical systems.\nExperience integrating hardware into aircraft, robotics, prototypes, test systems, or comparable platforms.\nHands-on electrical experience, including wiring, connectors, soldering, crimping, cable fabrication, and electrical troubleshooting.\nExperience building, maintaining, or troubleshooting HIL rigs, test stands, test fixtures, or similar hardware/software integration environments.\nAbility to read and work from mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, and engineering documentation\nExperience with rapid prototyping, fabrication, and iterative hardware development.\nAbility to systematically troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications, and system-level problems.\nExperience using common mechanical and electrical tools and test equipment.\nExperience supporting engineering, ground, flight, or field testing.\nStrong attention to detail, workmanship, safety, and configuration control.\nAbility to work independently and solve technical problems in fast-moving workshop, laboratory, flight-line, and field environments.\nValid driver's license and ability to transport equipment and personnel to operational sites.\nAbility to travel within Ukraine as required.\nPreferred Qualifications:\n* Experience maintaining or integrating fixed-wing and multirotor UAS.\n* Experience with autonomous or experimental aircraft and Group 1 or Group 2 UAS.\n* Experience building or maintaining HIL environments for aircraft, robotics, or autonomous systems.\n* Experience with 3D printing, CAD, and prototype part fabrication.\n* Experience integrating avionics, flight computers, sensors, actuators, radios, antennas, or payload systems.\n* Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or similar flight-control systems.\n* Familiarity with Ground Control Stations, telemetry, RF systems, datalinks, and networking.\n* Familiarity with Linux, command-line tools, scripting, or basic software troubleshooting.\n* Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies, or similar electrical test equipment.\n* Experience establishing or maintaining an engineering lab, prototype shop, HIL lab, or flight-operations facility.\n* Background in defense, aerospace, robotics, aircraft maintenance, manufacturing, or flight test.\n* Experience working in austere or rapidly changing field environments.\n* Ukrainian and English language proficiency.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5738,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"Ukrainian","level":"Advanced (C1)","optional":true},{"language":"English","level":"Advanced (C1)","optional":true}]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Military Drones","Defense Manufacturing","Defense AI","Drone AI"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-19T11:01:19Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":63,"band":"ok","label":"Likely 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