Flight Operations Support Engineer

Pyka is looking for a Flight Operations Support Engineer to join our expanding Flight Operations team, guarantee maximum operational uptime of our fleet, and inform data-driven design decisions.

The primary responsibilities include the diagnosis of complex hardware/software-related issues, interfacing with cross-functional engineering teams to provide required data, design additional tests and drive resolution, and generally being available to support the daily technical operations.

This is a multidisciplinary role that interacts with many internal teams, so written and verbal communication skills are critical. Your work will be instrumental in Pyka’s growth as we build the best safe product for our customers.

Some of the way you will contribute in your first weeks include:

• Analyze data of aircraft subsystems to support failure root cause analysis
• Analyze bench and flight testing data to validate new design
• Perform initial triage of software and hardware related field issues
  
  

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. 

Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce C02 emissions in their respective industries. 

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day. 

Responsibilities

• Analyze flight logs to identify and troubleshoot hardware and software issues
  
  
• Analyze fleet data for performance evaluations
  
  
• Improve the company’s data analysis tools
  
  
• Interface with field Flight Operations teams to troubleshoot and collect additional test data
  
  
• Identify and escalate trends in fleet performance and issues
  
  
• Support engineering teams with building or maintaining efficient data analysis and troubleshooting software tools
  
  
• Work with engineering design teams to improve subsystems and controls of the aircraft
  
  
• Define required tests and analyze data to validate issue resolution and design changes
  
  
• Establishing diagnostic procedures and maintain a test/troubleshooting guide
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Information Technology
  
  
• 1-3 years experience with data log analysis for hardware and controls systems
  
  
• Talent and excitement for thorough troubleshooting
  
  
• Experience building data analysis tools in Python
  
  
• Comfortable with Linux
  
  
• Excellent communication skills, ability to build relationships across the company
  
  
• Independent and motivated, with an extremely strong work ethic; able to self-direct and manage time
  
  

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with C
  
  
• Experience with electric autonomous aircraft
  
  
• Experience with remotely supporting vehicle troubleshooting
  
  
• Experience with hardware testing and validation processes
  
  
• Hands-on experience with vehicle hardware
  
  
• Experience with Linux & Python-based programming systems for fleet-level data processing
  
  
• Experience with software that interfaces with hardware
  
  

Company Perks

• $90,000–$130,000 per year base salary equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.
  
  
• Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance, FSA with employer matching, and 401(k)
  
  
• Paid holidays and generous PTO
  
  
• Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks
  
  
• Opportunity to work on large autonomous aircraft and see them fly
  
  

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls. Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

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We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.