
Cooler Careers in Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems
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UAS Job Opportunities in Grand Forks, ND
If you want your career to rise, look no farther than the many UAS jobs in Grand Forks, ND! Work at a U.S. Department of Defense contractor like Northrop Grumman or General Atomics. Be part of UAS research at a campus focused on national security at the University of North Dakota. Or tackle the challenges of cutting-edge UAS development and drone service at companies like Thread, iSight Drone Services, or Meadowlark Aircraft. The sky’s the limit!
1,260
Number of UAS Jobs in Grand Forks
64%
Job Growth Between 2018-2023
500
Approximate Number of Jobs Needed in Next 5 Years

NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Northrop Grumman is a global aerospace, defense and security company. The majority of our business is with the U.S. government, principally the Department of Defense and intelligence community. The Grand Forks site is actually located in Emerado, ND, 20 minutes outside of the City of Grand Forks. The site has strong partnerships with the Grand Forks Air Force Base and is located within the Grand Sky UAS Business Park. They deliver solutions to global and commercial customers and have technical, engineering, project management, and aircraft maintenance positions, among others.
GENERAL ATOMICS
General Atomics is where cutting-edge technology and innovation meet exceptional career growth opportunities. Located in at the Grand Sky UAS Business Park, the Grand Forks site is a hub for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), defense technologies, and aerospace advancements. General Atomics offers a wide range of career opportunities in areas such as engineering, quality assurance, program management, and technical support. Whether you’re looking to work on groundbreaking UAS projects or contribute to advanced research, you’ll find a challenging and rewarding career path at General Atomics.


MEADOWLARK AIRCRAFT
Meadowlark Aircraft Company is a manufacturer of bespoke unmanned aerial systems. Their current focus is light Group 3 (100-300 LB TOW) fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems for defense (stealth) and civilian (agriculture, mid-range parcel delivery) applications. They are headquartered in the HIVE UAS Accelerator in the heart of downtown Grand Forks. With roles in manufacturing, design, engineering, finance, marketing and more, this company is a great place to look for careers in UAS in Grand Forks, ND.
IDEAL AEROSMITH
Ideal Aerosmith provides turnkey test solutions, integration services, and build-to-print manufacturing opportunities for a broad array of industries, including aerospace and defense. Located in midtown Grand Forks this custom solutions provider offers an incredible, support work environment where people take center stage and get every other Friday off. They are always on the hunt for electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, inventory managers, and contract compliance.


NORTHERN PLAINS UAS TEST SITE
If you’re looking for a career in the heart of it all, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site is the central figure in North Dakota’s focus on autonomy. As one of just seven FAA designated UAS test sites, NPUASTS executes research and development, administers Vantis (the statewide beyond visual line of site system), and other programs while working closely with GrandSKY UAS business park, universities, and private industries in North Dakota’s UAS ecosystem.


THREAD
Thread is a software-as-a-service provider that helps utilities understand risk across networks and make proactive, data-driven infrastructure protection decisions. Specializing in asset data management, workflow automation, and collaboration tools, they’re a fast-growing company with a big presence in Grand Forks.
AETHERO
Ideal Aerosmith provides turnkey test solutions, integration services, and build-to-print manufacturing opportunities for a broad array of industries, including aerospace and defense. Located in midtown Grand Forks this custom solutions provider offers an incredible, support work environment where people take center stage and get every other Friday off. They are always on the hunt for electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, inventory managers, and contract compliance.


TRUWEATHER SOLUTIONS
What if you combined weather forecasting with incredible infrastructure and data analysis in order to get hyper-local weather insights? That’s what this software-as-a-service company has built. Their technology helps unmanned and autonomous service companies understand and plan for real-time weather conditions.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
Post-secondary teachers, researchers, and pilots are some of the most needed roles in greater Grand Forks and our institutes of higher education offer excellent careers. As an R1 research institute, the University of North Dakota is a national leader in uncrewed and autonomous systems, space studies, and aviation and became one of the first universities to enter into a long term relationship with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) as part of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI-UAS) program.


NORTHLAND COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Speaking of excellence in UAS post-secondary education, Northland Community and Technical College has more than 60-years of aviation related education and is leading UAS and Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) technician education. The college launched the nation’s first UAS Maintenance Program and has continued to accelerate advanced technological programs. They also operate National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) which helps develop the standards and regulations that govern autonomous technologies.
WHY IS GRAND FORKS THE BEST PLACE FOR UAS?
In greater Grand Forks, Quality of Life meets unbounded growth and development. See for yourself in this video why Grand Forks is more than a destination–it’s a place you’ll want to call home and make your own.

A LAND OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Surely, you’ve heard the buzz about drones, by now right? Well, the Grand Forks region is the hub of all things unmanned so if you want to find your niche in this industry, you really need to look for a career here.
If you’re bringing along a family member who is also in need of a job, don’t worry. We’re the land of opportunity and there are all sorts of jobs in all kinds of industries.
You’ll find your next career opportunity here in the Grand Forks region.
Current full-time jobs
available now in greater Grand Forks!

New jobs posted in the past 14 days.