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Sitreps 2 Steercos

Drone Pilot

Sitreps 2 Steercos, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199

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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 We’re 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.

You’ll 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: you’ll be flying, troubleshooting, repairing, updating software, and ensuring that we’re 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. You’ll 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 world’s 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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