Pyka jobs, judged for you, free

What they do

Pyka designs and builds autonomous aircraft in Alameda, California. Pelican 2 is an electric aircraft that sprays crops with a 300 liter payload. DropShip is a hybrid cargo aircraft for logistics, defense, and humanitarian work, and it is in flight test. Pyka makes its own flight software, avionics, motors, batteries, and carbon-fiber airframes. Its aircraft fly in five countries.

What they value

• Safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation from autonomous electric aviation.
• Start with the highest value and most dangerous jobs.
• Build nearly every mission-critical hardware part in-house.
• Real missions for real customers.

Where they hire

Fourteen of 22 open roles are at the Alameda headquarters, and most are on-site. Four flight operations roles are in California, with test sites in Dixon and Victoria Island. Two roles are remote in the US, and two are in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Nearly every posting makes employment depend on export control authorization. The two internships list visa sponsorship.

Teams and roles

The board lists 22 roles, and most are in flight operations, manufacturing, and hardware engineering.

• Flight operations: flight test engineers and operators who fly, test, and maintain the aircraft as pilot in command or ground control operator. A deployed engineer spends about half the time at customer sites abroad. A demo specialist runs demos for government and military customers. A temporary associate drives aircraft between headquarters and test sites. A contract specialist supports customers in Mato Grosso.
• Manufacturing: composite, electro-mechanical assembly, and integration technicians. A final assembly and prototyping technician sits with mechanical engineering.
• Electrical engineering: an associate, an engineer at multiple levels, and an intern. The work covers flight computers, motor controllers, battery management, and spray electronics.
• Mechanical engineering: an engineer and an intern on the DropShip cargo aircraft.
• Software: one senior engineer who owns the software for the DropShip and cargo programs in C++17 and Python.
• Supply chain: a head of supply chain and a senior buyer and planner. Both work in the Odoo ERP.
• Sales: a senior account executive in Brazil and a senior business development manager for the US and Canada. Both sell the spray aircraft.
• Also: a certification and airworthiness specialist and a compensation manager.

Nineteen of the 20 US postings state a pay range. The two Brazil postings state none.

What they look for

Many postings ask for hands-on work, attention to detail, and strong written and verbal communication. Flight roles ask for experience flying fixed-wing UAVs or large multirotors, ground control software, and troubleshooting of mechanical and electrical systems. The flight test and demo roles say that an engineering degree is not required. Two flight test roles ask for Portuguese or Spanish, and the Brazil roles require Portuguese. Technician roles ask for skill with hand and power tools and the ability to follow drawings and work instructions. They accept experience from aviation, automotive, marine, or industrial work, and an A&P certification is a plus. Electrical roles ask for PCB design tools such as Altium or KiCad, and C or C++. Sales roles ask for five to eight years in the agricultural industry. Most postings say that a candidate does not need to meet every qualification. The postings do not describe the interview steps.