The ProblemAs Flock expands our fleet of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and docking infrastructure across thousands of communities, ensuring 24/7 mission-critical field reliability requires high-integrity hardware-software integration. Operating in unpredictable real-world environments without constant on-site oversight means our drones and ground stations rely on seamless radio connectivity, pristine battery systems, and immediate diagnostic triage. You will serve as the technical bridge between field operations and core engineering-diving into telemetry, leading hardware bring-up, and ensuring field data directly drives our next generation of autonomous hardware.
What You'll Own- Diagnose & Triage Complex Fleet Issues: Perform deep-dive root-cause analysis on vehicle performance, multi-rotor airframes, radar systems, and radio communication/signal throughput degradation.
- Telemetry & Analytics Monitoring: Interrogate post-flight telemetry using diagnostic tools like Foxglove and Grafana, establishing performance KPIs and real-time visibility dashboards for vehicle heartbeats.
- Hardware Bring-Up & Field Validation: Lead hands-on bring-up, QA testing, and field validation of new docking hardware and drone airframes using industrial automation principles to ensure round-the-clock reliability.
- Engineering Feedback Loop: Translate edge-case hardware failures and raw field data into clear, actionable bug reports and design feedback for the core Engineering team.
- Maintenance & Support Playbooks: Develop, maintain, and continuously refine preventative inspection schedules, technical SOPs, and troubleshooting guides to scale our global fleet capabilities.
What This Role is Not- This isn't a desk-only or purely remote role. You will work hands-on with physical hardware at our Atlanta facility and deploy directly to client sites (up to 25% travel).
- This is not a high-level software development job. You won't write core drone flight software, build cloud platforms, or engineer embedded firmware from scratch; your focus is deep technical triage, telemetry analysis, and hardware-system integration.
- This isn't a transactional help-desk ticket pusher. You are an engineer who owns the technical lifecycle, failure mode analysis, and continuous feedback loop between live operations and design teams.
What You Bring- Education & Background: Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or proven hands-on experience in the UAS/Robotics space.
- Domain Experience: 3+ years troubleshooting and maintaining Unmanned Aerial Systems, including multi-rotor flight hardware and autopilot firmware.
- Diagnostics & Data Stack: Hands-on proficiency with hardware diagnostic tools (Multimeters, Oscilloscopes) and telemetry/monitoring suites (Grafana, Foxglove, or similar).
- Communication & RF Infrastructure: Deep familiarity with GPS, LTE, RF communications systems, and signal strength/throughput troubleshooting between UAS hardware and ground infrastructure.
- Technical Translation: Strong written and verbal communication skills with a proven track record of converting complex hardware failures into clean engineering documentation.
- Nice to Haves: Working knowledge of radar systems, familiarity with Battery Management Systems (BMS) and safe handling of Li-ion chemistries, and an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (required upon hire).
Feeling uneasy that you haven't ticked every box? That's okay; we've felt that way too. Studies have shown women and minorities are less likely to apply unless they meet all qualifications. We encourage you to break the status quo and apply to roles that would make you excited to come to work every day.
90 Days at FlockWe prescribe 90-day plans and believe that good days lead to good weeks, which lead to good months. Here is a preview of your first 90 days as a UAS Support Engineer:
- The First 30 Days:
- Achieve "Level 1" internal certification on existing drone airframes, connectivity modules, and docking hardware.
- Perform an in-person inspection of our Atlanta-based fleet and shadow the Lead Engineer on live telemetry monitoring sessions.
- Set up your diagnostic environment, gain proficiency in Foxglove and Grafana, and familiarize yourself with our RF configurations and troubleshooting workflows.
- The First 60 Days:
- Independently triage and resolve Tier 2 technical escalations involving vehicle performance, radar systems, and docking reliability.
- Conduct post-flight telemetry reviews to identify edge-case hardware behaviors and translate them into actionable engineering bug reports.
- Assist with physical bring-up and field validation of new docking hardware while implementing new diagnostic views in monitoring dashboards.
- 90 Days & Beyond:
- Own the "Technical Support Playbook" and SOPs for the rollout of next-generation aircraft and docking systems.
- Establish predictive maintenance and inspection schedules for the global fleet based on analyzed failure modes and telemetry trends.
- Act as the Subject Matter Expert for battery management systems (BMS) and radar health, leading bring-up processes for new fleet deployments to ensure rigorous QA and safety standards.
Logistics & Compensation- Location & Travel: Onsite at our Atlanta-based manufacturing facility for hands-on collaboration, with up to 25% travel expected to client sites.
- Compensation: Starting salary between $100,000 and $140,000, plus Flock Stock Options. Base salary is determined by job-related experience, education/training, as well as market indicators. Your recruiter will discuss this in depth with you during our first chat.
