MQ-9 Reaper Air Vehicle Pilot

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 an MQ-9 Reaper Air Vehicle Pilot (AVP) to join the 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. 

We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in MQ-9 operations, to include both C-band and SLR launch and recovery, who is familiar with the integration of new payloads and capabilities onto existing airframes.  Prior operational or developmental test experience is a highly desired.

In addition to piloting the MQ-9 air vehicle in support of developmental test events, you will work as a project officer within the UAS test squadron where you will manage diverse teams of aircrew and flight test engineers and work closely with those teams to apply real-world operational experience to the test program in an effort to ensure the highest quality product is delivered to support the warfighters needs.

Responsibilities

• The selected candidate will support a wide range of test and evaluation requirements to include;

  • test planning meetings

  • test plan development

  • event planning

  • test procedure and card development

  • flight briefings

  • test execution

  • post event support

  • test reporting

  • deficiency reporting

• Act as Pilot-in-Command (PIC) of MQ-9 aircraft for launch and recovery efforts.
• Coordinate and actively participate in UAS ground and flight operations efforts; including mission planning, execution, briefing, debriefing, aircrew resource management, and safety.
• Define, plan, organize, and execute flight plans and schedules. Review maintenance logs, weather reports, and forecasts.
• Use Technical Orders, other documents, and reports to ascertain factors; such as aircraft weight and balance, fuel supply, route, schedule, and mechanical reliability.
• Maintain ability to travel to CONUS and OCONUS sites.
• Most work will be conducted on-site at NAS Patuxent River, MD, however, some domestic travel will be required in support of flight test activities

Required:

• Qualified MQ-9 Pilot with SLR experience
• 1000+ documented flight hours (manned/unmanned)
• Minimum 500 hours PIC in medium/high altitude long endurance UAS
• Active Secret clearance with the ability to attain a Top Secret clearance
• FAA Second Class Medical
• 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.

Desired:

• Manual Launch and Recovery experience / C-Band operations experience
• Graduate of full-length course of instruction from a recognized military test pilot school: e.g. USNTPS, USAFTPS, Empire, or EPNER.  Pay differential for this experience will be applied.
• Operational test or payload integration experience
• 500 hours of MQ-9 experience highly desired
• Project officer experience
• Applicant must be adaptable, have good communication skills, and work well in a team environment.

Salary range: $130,000 - $160,000 (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.