# Flight Operations Crew Chief

**Company:** [Icarus](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/icarus)
**Location:** El Segundo, CA
**Role:** Other
**Salary:** $90k – $150k/yr
**Experience:** 3+ years
**Skills:** Aircraft Maintenance, Uas Maintenance, Rc Aircraft, Faa Part 107, Troubleshooting, Mechanical Systems, Electrical Systems, Software Debugging, Linux Command Line, Configuration Control, Preflight Inspections, Maintenance Documentation
**Posted:** 2026-06-30

> Own end-to-end aircraft readiness for high-altitude solar-powered UAS: assemble, inspect, troubleshoot, maintain, and sign off on airworthiness for flights at 60,000 ft. Requires 3+ years hands-on aircraft/UAS maintenance experience, strong mechanical/electrical/software troubleshooting skills, and FAA Part 107 (or willingness to obtain).

## Job Description

## What you’ll do

### Prepare the aircraft
- Assemble, configure, and prepare aircraft for flight, including mechanical assembly, avionics connections, and payload setup.
- Run preflight inspections and checklists, and make the call on aircraft readiness.
- Set up and verify ground support equipment, power, and the physical test site.
- Own the configuration and condition of the aircraft from the hangar to the line.

### Maintain and troubleshoot
- Diagnose and fix mechanical, electrical, and software issues on the aircraft in the field and in the hangar.
- Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repairs, and replacements.
- Refurbish and reset the aircraft between flights and prepare it for the next sortie.
- Maintain positive control of tools and hardware to keep the aircraft safe.
- Follow directions and intent from engineering personnel to make required adjustments on the fly.

### Document and improve
- Keep accurate maintenance records, squawks, and configuration logs.
- Feed findings back to engineering to drive the next iteration of the aircraft.
- Build and improve the standard operating procedures that make aircraft readiness repeatable and safe.

## What we’re looking for
- 3+ years of hands-on aircraft, UAS, or RC maintenance experience, or equivalent military experience as a maintainer or crew chief.
- Holds or willing to quickly obtain FAA Part 107 certification.
- Demonstrated ability to assemble, inspect, maintain, and sign off on an aircraft's readiness.
- Strong hands-on troubleshooting across mechanical, electrical, and software systems.
- Disciplined approach to checklists, documentation, and configuration control.
- Sound judgment on airworthiness and a willingness to ground an aircraft that is not ready.
- Comfort taking direction from engineers and translating it into a flight-ready aircraft.
- Willingness to travel frequently to remote test sites across the world.
- Strong communicator, non-negotiable.
- High trust, extreme ownership, no ego.

## Bonus
- FAA Airframe and Powerplant license or military aviation maintenance background.
- Familiarity with the Linux command line for debugging and troubleshooting.
- Experience with developmental flight test or build-up test programs.
- Background building RC or UAS aircraft (SAE Aero, Design Build Fly, or serious hobbyist).
- Aviation-adjacent military specialty with "air sense" (JTAC, CCT, etc).
- Experience operating in austere or remote field environments.

## Why Icarus
- Meaningful equity
- Top market salary and bonuses
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Factory in El Segundo
- Real ownership, real hardware, real flight
- Small team, massive responsibility
- High signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture
- Dream desk setup
- Daily lunch
- Unlimited celsius

**US salary range: $90,000 - $150,000 USD** (base salary only; highly competitive equity grants are part of total compensation)

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