The posting
Location: Onsite — Austin, TX
Employment Type: Direct Hire, Full‑Time
Job Title: UAS Pilot
About 9 Mothers
The modern battlefield has changed. Cheap, autonomous suicide drones have turned the tactical advantage upside down, and the world is looking for a solution. At 9 Mothers, we aren't just "innovating." We are building the shield.
Backed by top-tier investors, we develop AI-powered machines designed to intercept and neutralize Group 1/sUAS threats in real time. Our flagship product, Edda, is a low-cost, autonomous-capable point defense turret that detects and engages high-speed FPV drones at close range.
Why 9 Mothers?
While others build for "awareness" or "long-term research," we build for the immediate survival of those in harm's way. We are a team of hackers, engineers, and mission-driven builders who value field-ready capability over polished slide decks. If you want to see your flying turn into fielded hardware next month, not next year, this is your playground.
Position Summary
We are seeking a Drone Test Pilot to be the threat our systems are built to defeat. You'll fly FPV and COTS drones against our counter-drone systems so that our product is tested against realistic, aggressive flight profiles. You'll also fly live demonstrations for customers.
This is not a photography or mapping role. We need someone with real stick skills who can fly fast, fly repeatably, recover when things go wrong, and tell our engineers exactly what happened in the air.
Essential Duties
Test Flight Operations
- Fly FPV and COTS drones against Edda and our other systems in structured test campaigns, executing specific flight profiles (speed, altitude, approach angle, evasive maneuvering) on demand and repeatably
- Emulate realistic threat behavior, including high-speed attack runs, low-altitude approaches, and swarm-style multi-drone scenarios alongside other pilots
- Conduct pre-flight planning, risk assessments, checklists, and airspace coordination for every flight session
- Operate safely within FAA Part 107, range safety protocols, and company SOPs in an active live-fire test environment
Demonstrations
- Fly live demos for customers, both at our Austin-area range and at off-site customer locations
- Rehearse and execute demo scripts reliably under pressure, with the confidence to adapt when conditions change
Fleet Build, Maintenance & Data
- Build, repair, and maintain the drone fleet, including battery, motor and prop swaps, connectors, soldering, and frame repairs
- Configure and tune aircraft using ArduPilot: firmware flashing, sensor calibration, PID tuning
- Capture flight logs and telemetry and hand clean data to perception and robotics engineers
- Maintain flight records, aircraft registrations, and maintenance logs
- Provide clear, specific debriefs to engineering after every session: what you flew, what you saw, and what looked off
Required Qualifications
- Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
- 2+ years of hands-on FPV (5”, 7” and 10”) flying experience (professional, racing, freestyle, or military)
- Strong manual flying skills: comfortable in Acro mode with no GPS assistance, at high speed and low altitude
- Proficiency flying common COTS platforms
- Working knowledge of ArduPilot, including firmware flashing, configuration, and basic log review
- Ability to build and field-repair small drones, including basic soldering and electronics
- Familiar with battery safety and procedures
- Methodical and disciplined: you run the same checklist the same way on flight 200 as on flight 1, and you write things down
- Comfortable working outdoors for full days in central Texas conditions, including direct sun and high heat
- Valid driver's license and ability to travel for off-site demos and test events
- Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR
Preferred Qualifications
- Military UAS or FPV experience, or experience supporting defense or government UAS test events
- Familiarity with counter-UAS technologies or experience flying against C-UAS systems
- Blackbox analysis and PID tuning experience
- Experience flying fiber-optic FPV drones or larger platforms (cinelifters, Group 2)
- Multi-pilot or swarm coordination experience
- Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain one
- Comfort working around firearms and live-fire range safety protocols
- Passion for building drones or robots as a hobby
What Success Looks Like
- In the first 30 days, this person has flown at least one full test campaign against Edda, established a standard set of repeatable threat flight profiles the engineering team can request by name, and flown a customer demo without a hitch.
- On an ongoing basis, flight availability never slows down our test program. The fleet is flight-ready when engineers need it, flight profiles are executed as specified, and every session produces logs and a debrief engineers can act on.
Work Environment
This role involves regular outdoor field testing with live fire against the aircraft you fly. Expect to lose drones and to rebuild them. Comfort working around firearms, muzzle blast, and associated range safety protocols is required. Outdoor test sessions in central Texas conditions are a routine part of the job, and periodic travel is required for customer demos.
Benefits
- Meaningful Early Equity: You aren't just an employee; you are a foundational owner. Your contributions directly drive the value of your stake in the company.
- Mission-Critical Work: We don't build for "what if." We build systems the Department of War actively needs to counter immediate, real-world threats.
- Fly for a Living: Your job is to fly hard against real hardware, with a fleet we fund, build, and replace.
- 100% Employer-Paid Premiums: We cover 100% of your medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums and 50% of healthcare premiums for your dependents.
- Unlimited PTO: We value results, not clock-watching. Take the time you need to stay sharp and recharge.
- Zero Red Tape: Your feedback goes straight to the engineers building the system, and it changes what they build.
- Austin-Based Culture: Join an onsite team in Austin, TX, where we prioritize high-bandwidth collaboration and rapid field-testing.
- Relocation Assistance: If you aren't in Austin yet, we'll help you get here.
About the Interview
1. Virtual interview with Director of Operations
2. In-person visit to Austin to meet the founders, team, etc.
3. Offer
