Developmental Test Pilot

Overview

Join a Company Where You Can Make a Real Impact – and Own a Piece of the Future

Are you energized by the idea of helping a company grow smarter, serve our customers better, and connect more deeply? Do you thrive in an environment where your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your work drives real results? If so, we’d love to meet you.

We’re a mid-sized, employee-owned company on a mission to create meaningful value for both our employees and our customers. That means we’re not just looking for someone to fill a seat — we’re looking for someone who wants to build, innovate, and evolve with us.

Our company primarily serves the Navy and other Department of Defense clients, offering a dynamic environment where your expertise will make a difference.

About the Role

AVIAN is seeking a Developmental Test Pilot to join the USMC MQ-9 Reaper test team in support of Navy/Marine Corps' premier UAS test squadron, UX-24, in Patuxent River, Maryland.  Become part of a dynamic team of military, government, and contract support personnel that will continue to deliver new capability to the Marine Corps' MQ-9 Reaper air vehicles through the test and evaluation of cutting edge next-generation communication and SIGINT payloads.  Prior military developmental test experience is required; however, no previous MQ-9 flight experience is required as air vehicle pilot (AVP) training will be provided. Prior UAS AVP and/or test experience (DT or OT) is desired.  The selected applicant will be expected to integrate seamlessly into the MQ-9 Test Team as a Project Officer who will be responsible for the planning, execution, and reporting of developmental test efforts.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Serve as a Developmental Test Pilot and Project Officer supporting MQ-9 Reaper developmental test and evaluation activities.

• Plan, coordinate, execute, and report on developmental test efforts for new and emerging MQ-9 capabilities.

• Develop and support test plans, test cards, procedures, risk assessments, and other test documentation.

• Participate in flight test execution as an MQ-9 Air Vehicle Pilot.

• Evaluate aircraft systems, payloads, communications capabilities, and mission-system performance against established test objectives and requirements.

• Support developmental testing of next-generation communications, SIGINT, and other mission payloads.

• Analyze test results and contribute to technical reports, briefings, recommendations, and other test products.

• Coordinate with military, government, engineering, contractor, and operational stakeholders throughout the test lifecycle.

• Identify test risks, technical issues, and mission impacts and communicate findings to appropriate stakeholders.

• Participate in test planning meetings, technical reviews, safety reviews, and other program or squadron activities.

• Maintain required flight, medical, security, and professional qualifications.

• Perform other duties as required in support of UX-24 and MQ-9 test and evaluation objectives.

Qualifications

Required:

• Graduate of a full-length course of instruction from a recognized military test pilot school: e.g. USNTPS, USAFTPS, Empire, or EPNER.
• Developmental Test Project Officer experience.
• 1000+ documented flight hours (manned/unmanned).
• Minimum 500 hours PIC in military aircraft.
• Active Secret clearance with the ability to attain a Top Secret clearance.
• FAA Second Class Medical.

Desired:

• Prior military UAS, especially high-altitude long endurance, AVP experience highly desired.
• Applicant must be adaptable, have good communication skills, and work well in a team environment. 

Other Requirements:

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense security clearance.
• Due to the sensitivity of customer-related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Salary range: $165,000 - $240,000 (The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.) 

About being a part of Team AVIAN

As an employee-owner, you’ll be a catalyst for progress — helping us find new opportunities with current or new customers, company efficiencies, streamline processes, and bring people and ideas together in smarter ways. Whether it’s helping us optimize workflows, enhancing the employee experience, or delivering more impactful solutions to our customers, your inputs will have reach and relevance across the organization.

Taking care of each other is a cornerstone of our AVIAN philosophy. Being part of the AVIAN team means being part of a team that takes pride in being expansive in our community because our impact doesn’t stop in the workplace. We actively engage in community initiatives, empowering our employees to make a meaningful difference.

You’ll Succeed Here If You...

• See opportunities where others see routine
• Are curious, collaborative, and passionate about making things better
• Enjoy connecting dots across teams, tools, and tasks
• Believe in doing the right thing the right way — even when no one’s watching
• Play an active role in our growth, using your ideas and initiative to shape how we work, serve, and succeed together
• Embrace a “one team” mindset knowing we are stronger together through trust, transparency and teamwork.
• Understand the power of ownership — and are excited to be part of an employee-owned culture

Why Join Us?

• Employee Ownership: We’re not just building a company — we’re building a legacy. As an employee-owner, you’ll share in our success and have a direct stake in our future.
• Real Growth: We’re expanding, evolving, and exploring new ways to serve. Your contributions will shape our direction and help us grow stronger.
• Purpose-Driven Work: Every improvement you help make is one that adds value — not just for us, but for the people and missions we support.
• Culture of Collaboration: We’re big enough to take on meaningful challenges, but small enough that everyone still knows your name.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Designed to support your health, financial security, and overall well-being, our health and wellness benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with telemedicine services and a TRICARE supplement for veterans.
• Flexible Leave Benefits: we prioritize a balanced, supportive environment that allows you to thrive both personally and professionally and offer flexible and paid time off, 11 paid holidays, paid sick leave, maternity and bonding leave, and military training leave.

AVIAN is a service-based organization. As an equal opportunity employer, our policy of business is to seek the most qualified candidate for each talent opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, religious belief, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual preference, physical or mental handicap, lawful political affiliation or veteran’s status.