Job Description

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This range is provided by Sitreps 2 Steercos. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$120,000.00/yr - $140,000.00/yr

Additional compensation types

Annual Bonus and Stock options

Drone Operator

Compensation: $130K + Equity

Location: Paso Robles, CA or Sunnyvale, CA

The Role

Were hiring a Drone Operator to support our unmanned aerial systems (UAS) programs and ensure our platforms are ready to execute in the field. A Drone Operator is responsible for the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and readiness of the company's aerial robotics and support equipment.

Youll spend most of your week in the field, conducting flight tests, operating drones in diverse mission scenarios, and keeping our fleet in peak condition. This role is highly hands-on: youll be flying, troubleshooting, repairing, updating software, and ensuring that were conducting flights in mission-relevant conditions. Your work is the backbone that enables flight testing, data collection, and rapid iteration on cutting-edge autonomy.

This is a startup. Youll be moving fast, context-switching daily, and helping define the culture and process as we go. This is a rare opportunity to come in early and architect the future of defense.

Responsibilities:

• Operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) during test missions, training, and field operations
• Conduct pre-flight and post-flight inspections to ensure airworthiness and mission readiness
• Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair drones and associated ground support equipment
• Log flight hours, maintenance actions, and mission data for reporting and compliance
• Support engineers by executing test plans, capturing data, and providing operator feedback
• Safely transport, stage, and deploy drones across a variety of environments
• Stay current with UAS software, firmware, and autonomy system updates
• Enforce safe operating procedures and adhere to regulatory requirements
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prepare platforms for demonstrations and field trials

Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience operating drones in training, testing, or mission environments
• Strong technical skills with UAV hardware, electronics, and ground control systems
• Ability to perform field-level maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs
• Comfortable working outdoors in a variety of conditions and environments
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to safe operating practices
• Ability to lift, transport, and set up drone systems and support equipment
• Clear written and verbal communication skills for logging missions and reporting results

Why Join the company:

• Work on the worlds most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines
• Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model
• Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security
• See your work deployed on real systems
• Help define the future of intelligent defense systems
• Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, and other top investors
• Competitive base salary and meaningful equity
• Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution
• Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar
• Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen
• EV charging
• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)

Seniority level

Associate

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

• Defense and Space Manufacturing
• Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing

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