---
title: 'Flight Test Pilot - Drones (m/f/d) at Alpine Eagle GmbH'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/flight-test-pilot-drones-m-f-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-karlsruhe-3jh7b7rk6sxs'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Flight Test Pilot - Drones (m/f/d) at Alpine Eagle GmbH

- **Company:** Alpine Eagle GmbH
- **Location:** Karlsruhe, Germany
- **Posted:** 2026-07-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/alpineeagle/jobs/4935533101

## Job description

At Alpine Eagle, we are a team of specialists with backgrounds in defence, aerospace engineering and machine learning, building the first airborne, swarm-based system to provide protection against the rising drone threat. We believe that recent conflicts have shown the malicious and disruptive potential of drones in both civilian and defense scenarios. In addition, we are convinced that the next step in counter-drone is air-to-air. We want to ensure that all governments and institutions that believe in personal freedom and the rule of law have cutting edge solutions to protect against this rising threat.

We offer a work environment that is inclusive and open, with a flat hierarchy, and a purpose-driven team. We want to reinforce a culture where great ideas can flourish, and great people collaborate.

We are seeking a hands-on and motivated Flight Test Pilot to support unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight testing in support of our Counter-UAS systems. You will be at the front lines of system validation - working closely with hardware, software, and mission teams to plan, execute, and evaluate test flights of drone systems and their intercept capabilities.

🎯 How you will make an impact:

- Execute UAV flight test missions in accordance with approved test plans, procedures, and safety requirements.
- Safely operate multicopter and fixed-wing UAVs across manual, assisted, and autonomous flight modes.
- Work closely with Flight Test Engineers and System Matter Experts during test preparation, mission execution, and post-flight debriefs.
- Perform pre-flight inspections, system checks, and flight readiness reviews.
- Monitor aircraft behaviour during testing and provide clear, timely feedback on vehicle performance and anomalies.
- Analyze flight test data to assess performance, identify root causes of anomalies, and drive corrective actions in collaboration with engineering teams.
- Support operational evaluation, product acceptance testing and customer demonstrations.
- Occasionally travel to remote test ranges as required.

✅ What you need to be successful:

- Proven experience piloting both multicopter and fixed-wing UAVs.
- Exceptional manual flying skills beyond highly automated commercial drone platforms.
- Strong discipline in following flight procedures, test cards, and briefing instructions.
- Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions under pressure and maintain composure during complex flight test scenarios.
- Solid understanding of UAV flight operations, airspace, and flight safety principles.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary test team.
- High level of professionalism, situational awareness, and attention to detail.

## Preferred Qualifications

- EASA remote pilot competency certificate or equivalent drone operations qualification.
- Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or similar flight control systems.
- Previous experience supporting UAV development or flight test programs.
- Experience with VTOL and high-performance fixed-wing platforms.

At Alpine Eagle, we are committed to diversity and equal opportunity. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, or sexual identity.

## About Alpine Eagle GmbH

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Alpine Eagle builds airborne counter-unmanned aircraft systems (c-UAS) to detect and intercept hostile drones at scale.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage) – raised €10.25 M seed round in Q1 2025
- **Headquarters**: Munich, Germany (with offices in Karlsruhe and London)
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: Jan-Hendrik Boelens (Co-Founder & CEO) and Timo Breuer (Co-Founder); additional founding team members include Jamie Bennett and other aerospace engineers.

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Defence technology / Counter-UAS (counter-drone systems)
- **Target customers**: B2B / B2G – military and security forces, government agencies, and allied defence partners.
- **Mission purpose**: “Restoring control of low-altitude airspace” by providing mobile, persistent, and cost-effective airborne defence against autonomous drone threats.

## Products & Services
- **Sentinel**: An airborne c-UAS system that integrates multi-sensor detection (radar, EO/IR), fire control, and kinetic interception into a single networked platform. Sentinel is the world’s first air-to-air counter-drone system, designed to operate as a closed sensor-to-shooter loop. The system can be deployed as a swarm or as a single unit and is terrain-independent. *Type: Hardware + Software (SaaS-like mission management).*
- **Distributed sensor network** (patent filed Feb 2025): A swarm of unmanned autonomous vehicles that implements a distributed sensor network for wide-area surveillance and threat identification.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding – USD 10.96 M (€10.25 M) as of April 2025.
- **Notable Investors**: IQ Capital (lead), HCVC, General Catalyst, High-Tech Gruenderfonds, Expeditions Fund, and 3 other undisclosed investors.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 125% headcount growth (YoY, from ~12 to 27 employees) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alpineeagle/)
  - Deployed Sentinel with Ukrainian Armed Forces in active combat environments (Q2 2025) [alpineeagle.com](https://alpineeagle.com/about-us/)
  - First systems delivered to Bundeswehr for operational trials (2024)
  - Expanded operations to the UK and Netherlands in 2025
  - 15 active job postings and a 66.7% YoY increase in job postings

## Competitive Advantages
- **Airborne approach** – Unlike ground-based systems, Alpine Eagle’s air-to-air interceptors can detect and engage drones at long range (beyond 5 km), closing the gap that conventional systems leave open.
- **Cost efficiency** – Significantly lower per‑intercept cost compared to high-end ground-based systems, making swarm‑scale deployment affordable.
- **Mobility & persistence** – Systems are forward-deployable, rapidly relocatable, and can sustain 24/7 operations.
- **Proven in combat** – Operational validation with Ukrainian forces provides real‑world credibility.
- **Integrated tech stack** – In‑house expertise in machine learning, sensor fusion, radar, and aeronautical engineering.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling from prototype to production** – Transitioning from trial deployments to mass‑production for European and allied militaries.
- **Geographic expansion** – Building commercial teams in Poland, UK, and other Eastern European markets.
- **Deepening autonomy** – Enhancing computer vision, autonomous swarm coordination, and closed-loop mission management.
- **Partnerships** – Working closely with NATO and allied defence procurement agencies.

## Why Work Here
- **Cutting‑edge mission** – Engineers work on real‑world autonomous systems that are deployed in live defence operations.
- **High growth trajectory** – The team doubled in 12 months; new hires will shape the company’s culture and technical direction.
- **Deep tech culture** – Teams are split across machine learning, sensor fusion, flight physics, and radar engineering; strong background from companies like Volocopter, Quantum Systems, Airbus, and Fraunhofer.
- **Flexible locations** – Offices in Munich and Karlsruhe (Germany) and a growing presence in London. Roles are primarily on‑site, but some hybrid working is possible.
- **Notable perks** – Not disclosed, but the environment emphasises “passion and drive” and the chance to build a radically different defence capability from the ground up.

## Sources
1. [alpineeagle.com/about-us](https://alpineeagle.com/about-us/)
2. [alpineeagle.com](https://alpineeagle.com/)
3. [linkedin.com/company/alpineeagle](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alpineeagle/)
4. [cbinsights.com/company/alpine-eagle](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/alpine-eagle)
5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alpineeagle](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alpineeagle)

## Other roles at Alpine Eagle GmbH

- [Head of Communications & Marketing (m/f/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-communications-marketing-m-f-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-munich-k834w6tzm3pv) — Munich, Germany
- [Full Stack Engineer – Frontend Focus (m/f/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-engineer-frontend-focus-m-f-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-karlsruhe-baden-75nkfk8de4xk) — Karlsruhe Baden-Württemberg Germany München Bavaria, Germany
- [Working Student Prototyping - Drones (m/w/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/working-student-prototyping-drones-m-w-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-munich-c1qd6484vrnz) — Munich, Germany
- [Business Development Manager (m/f/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-manager-m-f-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-united-kingdom-sqspfze649s9) — United Kingdom
- [Business Development Lead - Germany (m/f/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-lead-germany-m-f-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-germany-qrdsvjm0ksrb) — Germany
- [Head of C-UAS Mission Management System (m/f/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-c-uas-mission-management-system-m-f-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-munich-t66xbb7rzrra) — Munich, Germany
- [Robotics Engineer — Agent Control & UAV Autonomy (m/w/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-engineer-agent-control-uav-autonomy-m-w-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-karlsruhe-2gmn8v1jh32f) — Karlsruhe Baden-Württemberg Germany München Bavaria, Germany
- [Flight Physics & Flight Controls Engineer (m/w/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-physics-flight-controls-engineer-m-w-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-karlsruhe-baden-g93v595srb76) — Karlsruhe Baden-Württemberg Germany München Bavaria, Germany
- [Product Safety & Certification Engineer – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) (m/w/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/product-safety-certification-engineer-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-m-w-d-p0ffer6ekma3) — Karlsruhe Baden-Württemberg Germany München Bavaria, Germany
- [Working Student Talent Acquisition (m/w/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/working-student-talent-acquisition-m-w-d-alpine-eagle-gmbh-aschheim-bavaria-ckgd39h76gxk) — Aschheim Bavaria, Germany