Senior Test Director
Date: Feb 26, 2026
Location: Lexington, MA, US
Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
The Advanced Capabilities and Systems Group is an agile, innovative, multi-disciplinary team developing novel system and technology concepts that address the nation’s critical security challenges. The Group leverages focused analysis to understand solutions to defense and intelligence problems, and then develops the solutions in a fast cycle of experimentation and prototyping. The Group supports the Army, Air Force, Navy, Special Operations Forces, the Intelligence Community, and other government agencies in a wide variety of prototyping efforts. The Group consists of talented technical staff with expertise in electromagnetics, signal processing, radio frequency systems, antenna design, statistics, optimization, machine learning, UAS development, autonomous control, flight testing, software engineering, and embedded systems.
Position Description
The Advanced Capabilities & Systems Group is seeking an experienced flight test director to lead and manage the testing of UAS and other aircraft systems from a prototyping phase up to completion. Responsibilities include organizing flight tests, defining test strategies, coordinating teams of engineers and specialists, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Additional responsibilities include customer presentations and demonstrations, team/project management, staff mentorship, coordinating with the Laboratory’s Flight Test Facility, ensuring team safety, and compliance with regulations.
The Advanced Capabilities & Systems Group works on innovative and fast-paced UAS and autonomous system programs (such as the Perdix micro UAS) from concept through operational prototype. Technical staff have the opportunity to work closely with service members to develop impactful solutions to some of the government’s most challenging problems.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree with 5+ years of directly related experience or a bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of experience.
- Previous work experience as a test director for aircraft systems, with extensive knowledge on defining test strategies and organizing flight tests
- Hands on experience designing, prototyping, and flight-testing air vehicles.
- Candidates should have strong skills in the development and presentation of technical materials to varied audiences.
Hiring Range: $110,400 - $148,900
Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.
At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
- MIT-funded pension
- Matching 401K
- Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
- Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
- Mentorship programs
- A range of work-life balance options
- ... and much more!
Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.
Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.
Requisition ID: 42756
Nearest Major Market: Boston
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