Flight Test Maint Technician, Prime Air Flight Test Operations

How do you deliver items to customers quickly, cost-effectively, and-most importantly-safely, in as fast as 30 minutes? And how do you do it in a way that scales? Our teams of hundreds of scientists, engineers, aerospace professionals, and futurists have been working hard to do just that! We're already delivering to customers and are excited about what's to come. For more details, check out the About Amazon blog: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-prime-air-drone-delivery-expansion

If you"re looking for an environment that fosters innovation, where you can apply state-of-the-art technologies to solve real-world delivery challenges and make a positive impact on customers, Prime Air is the place for you!

Join the Amazon Prime Air Team!

Prime Air is looking for an experienced drone maintenance technician with a strong technical background and a passion for keeping complex drone systems safe and mission-ready. We seek resourceful problem-solvers who can diagnose novel failures, adapt to evolving configurations, and think critically under pressure. Here, you"ll work hard, have fun, and, of course, make history!

As a Prime Air Flight Test Maintenance Technician, you will maintain and troubleshoot a diverse fleet of experimental and prototype drones that are continuously changing in hardware, software, and configuration. While you will operate within our standardized maintenance framework, our test vehicles frequently present first-seen anomalies and unique technical challenges that demand independent diagnostic reasoning, root-cause analysis beyond established procedures, and the ability to develop or adapt troubleshooting approaches in real time.

A critical part of this role is maintaining rigorous configuration control: verifying that each drone is configured to the correct specification for its assigned test card, and executing thorough quality checks during handoffs between configurations. Beyond the drones themselves, you will also maintain ground support equipment (GSE) and battery systems, ensuring they remain serviceable and ready to support test operations. You will collaborate closely with flight test crews, engineering, and other Prime Air stakeholders to ensure every drone meets airworthiness standards and is ready for its next mission.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter with strong analytical and critical-thinking skills who can work from limited documentation, identify systemic trends across a mixed fleet, and exercise sound judgment when standard troubleshooting guides don"t apply. You thrive both independently and in a team environment, and you bring a proactive mindset to improving maintenance processes as our platforms mature.

This role requires the ability to carry/lift up to 50 lbs, stand / walk during shifts lasting up to 12 hours, and be able to frequently push, pull, squat, bend and reach.

This role requires the ability to work any shift, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

This role requires travel, up to 50% of the time.

Export Control License: This position may require a deemed export control license for compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Placement is contingent on Amazon's ability to apply for and obtain an export control license on your behalf.

Key job responsibilities

• Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on a diverse fleet of experimental and prototype drones, ensuring airworthiness and fleet readiness
• Conduct pre-flight and post-flight inspections, identifying and resolving discrepancies before and after test operations
• Perform component-level maintenance and removal/replacement (R&R) of line-replaceable units (LRUs) across the drone fleet
• Manage configuration control: verify each drone is correctly configured to its assigned test card and execute quality checks during configuration handoffs
• Troubleshoot first-seen anomalies and non-standard technical issues using independent diagnostic reasoning when standard procedures don"t fully apply
• Maintain ground support equipment (GSE), battery systems, and other ground infrastructure to support daily test operations
• Support special maintenance projects as required, including GSE builds, battery fleet management, and ground system improvements
• Manage fleet spare parts and inventory
• Follow and contribute to technical documentation, including maintenance manuals and evolving R&D procedures developed in coordination with engineering
• Verify adherence to FAA regulations and Prime Air directives and processes
• Demonstrate a proactive safety mindset in ambiguous situations
• Own fleet performance metrics, maintaining awareness of fleet health and test card readiness, and communicating status during daily standup meetings
• Coordinate closely with Flight Test Engineering on a daily basis to address technical questions, support test requirements, and resolve maintenance issues
• Collaborate with flight test crews to deliver airworthy, mission-ready drones and with broader engineering stakeholders to support their test requirements

A day in the life

Your morning starts with coffee and a team briefing at the Pendleton UAS Range - "Dronetown" USA. You"ll review the day"s test cards, grab the keys to a fleet truck, and head out to the flightline alongside a talented crew, the drones, and wide-open Eastern Oregon sky. The day might have you configuring a drone for a test card, chasing down an anomaly from yesterday"s post-flight, or swapping an LRU between sorties. After lunch with a view of the Blue Mountains, you"re back at it - prepping the next bird, updating fleet metrics, or knocking out a GSE maintenance project. You"ll spend 85-95% of your time hands-on with the hardware in an immersive field environment that"ll make you never want to go back to a shop floor. Let "er fly!

About the team

Flight Test Operations is a small, tight-knit team of passionate aviators and maintainers operating in a fast-paced R&D field environment. We take pride in setting the bar for operational excellence within Prime Air. Our mission is ensuring safe test execution that delivers quality results our engineering customers can count on. Everything that eventually gets fielded to Amazon customers at Prime Air drone delivery sites comes through our flightline first. If you want to be at the tip of the spear - working on industry-leading drone technology alongside pilots and maintainers who genuinely love aviation - this is it!