Team Lead - UAV Calibration & Test Pilot

As the Team Lead - UAV Calibration & Test Operations at DeltaQuad, you play a pivotal role in bridging operational execution, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. You will lead a dedicated team of UAV Calibration Technicians and Test Pilots while remaining actively involved in practical flight testing, calibration, and system validation.

In this role, you will ensure our VTOL drone platforms meet the highest standards of reliability and performance before leaving production. You will balance leading daily operations-managing schedules, coaching team members, and optimizing processes-with executing flight tests, analyzing logs, and supporting initial troubleshooting alongside your team.

You work at the intersection of production, engineering, and field operations, acting as the operational anchor for test activities and serving as the primary liaison for engineering feedback., Team Leadership & Operations

• Daily Guidance & Resource Planning: Lead, mentor, and organize the daily activities of the test pilot and calibration technician team, ensuring optimal workload distribution and schedule alignment with production output.
• Process & Protocol Improvement: Oversee and refine flight test procedures, calibration protocols, safety checklists, and documentation standards to maximize efficiency and maintain high quality.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Serve as the main point of contact between the test team, Production, Quality, and R&D/Engineering to resolve daily operational bottlenecks and feed flight insights back into engineering.
• Team Growth & Performance: Conduct regular check-ins, foster continuous skill development (e.g., flight skills, log analysis, safety awareness), and drive team spirit and accountability.
• Operational Ownership: Take ownership of the day-to-day effectiveness of calibration and flight test operations, identifying opportunities to improve capacity, consistency, safety, and overall test quality.

Practical Execution & Flight Testing

• Flight Testing & Calibration: Prepare and execute structured flight test missions (VTOL transition, fixed-wing operation, payload integration) and calibrate sensors, autopilots, and propulsion systems.
• Data & Telemetry Analysis: Analyze flight logs, telemetry, and system data to evaluate system behavior and verify performance parameters.
• First-Line Troubleshooting: Conduct basic troubleshooting when issues arise during testing, identifying anomalies and escalating complex technical problems to R&D and engineering teams.
• Validation & Final Sign-off: Verify system functionality against performance benchmarks and approve drones for customer delivery or operational deployment.

• Certifications: Valid EU Drone Pilot Certificates (A1, A2, A3 minimum) are required for conducting UAV flight operations.
• Technical Experience: Solid hands-on experience with UAV systems, flight testing, sensor calibration, and telemetry log analysis.
• Leadership Capability: Demonstrated capability or strong potential to lead, organize, and mentor a technical team in a practical environment.
• Ownership & Improvement Mindset: You naturally take ownership, spot where things can work better, and are comfortable introducing structure while keeping operations practical and efficient.
• Practical & Analytical Mindset: Comfortable working both in the lab and outdoors in field testing environments; structured in diagnosing basic technical issues and improving operational efficiency.
• Communication & Stakeholder Skills: Strong communication skills to clearly report flight findings to engineering and translate operational goals into clear daily tasks for the team.
• Languages: Fluent in English (Dutch is a strong plus).
• Driving License: Driving license category B is required for this position

Pulled from the full job description Pension plan Commuter assistance Flexible schedule, * Coaching and professional growth opportunities

• 27 vacation days (based on full-time)
• 38-hour workweek with flexible working hours
• Travel reimbursement of €0.25/km or full compensation for public transport (2nd class)
• Excellent pension scheme through the PME pension fund
• Work in an innovative, high-tech environment with real-world impact
• Open, informal company culture where your ideas are valued
• Lunch provided by DeltaQuad, monthly team drinks, and regular team activities

At DeltaQuad, you’ll work on technology that truly matters. As a pioneer in long-range electric VTOL drones (Vertical Take-Off and Landing), we develop robust systems in collaboration with trusted partners, which are deployed across the globe for defence, agriculture and inspection. Our drones are reliable, user-friendly, and built to perform in demanding environments.