Flight Operations & Safety Lead (UAS Flight Test)

About the role

As the Flight Operations & Safety Lead for UAS Flight Test at STARK, you will ensure every test flight is legally defensible, regulatorily compliant, and commercially insured before the rotors spin. Reporting to the Head of Flight Test and working closely with the Legal team, you will own the SORA process end‑to‑end and manage interfaces with national aviation authorities.

Key responsibilities

• Lead regulatory and operational approval activities for flight test campaigns across Europe, coordinating submissions to EASA, LBA and other national authorities.
• Develop and maintain the company Safety Management System (SMS), including occurrence reporting, internal audits, and safety performance monitoring.
• Define flight safety procedures, airspace coordination, exclusion zones and emergency protocols.
• Oversee pilot and operator qualification records, training compliance and competency management.
• Partner with Engineering, Legal, Insurance and Business Development to provide safety and regulatory expertise for customer engagements and new operational concepts.

Required profile

• 4–8 years of experience in aviation safety, flight operations management or regulatory compliance.
• Deep knowledge of the SORA methodology, EASA Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and the PDRA framework, with hands‑on experience submitting authorisations to at least one European NAA.
• Practical experience with Safety Management Systems, occurrence reporting and internal auditing.
• Familiarity with EASA Part 21 and interaction with military airworthiness authorities.
• Business‑fluent English; German strongly preferred.
• Structured, pragmatic mindset capable of building robust yet lean processes.

Required skills

• SORA methodology
• EASA Regulation (EU) 2019/947
• PDRA framework
• Safety Management System (SMS)
• ISO 9001
• AS9100
• NATO munitions safety standards (AOP‑4107, MSIAC guidance)