CUAS Operator / Technician

Socket.dev; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D

401K with employer matching

Job summary

Edgewater Federal Solutions is seeking a CUAS Operator/Technician to setup, operate, maintain, and integrate government-furnished CUAS equipment for protective missions. This role requires travel, 24/7 coverage, and the ability to work onsite at designated sites with rapid deployment capability.

The candidate must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain security clearance; experience with RF spectrum analysis, CUAS systems, and secure C2 integration is essential.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizen required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the required federal clearance.
• Experience with CUAS detection, tracking, and mitigation systems and RF analysis.

Responsibilities

• Deliver turn-key 24/7 RF spectrum analysis for protective missions and perform RF deconfliction.
• Deploy, set up, verify, and maintain CUAS equipment at designated sites and monitor system health.
• Dismantle and securely store CUAS gear after events and maintain readiness for rapid redeployment.
• Maintain systems in standby for immediate activation and respond to unauthorized drone activity in real time.
• Integrate CUAS data feeds with client command-and-control infrastructure for detection and mitigation.
• Provide on-site or remote IT support and ensure secure communications and data transmission.

Skills

CUAS detection

RF spectrum analysis

RF deconfliction

Troubleshooting

Field deployment

Job description

Overview

The CUAS Operator/Technician sets up, operates, maintains, and integrates government-furnished CUAS equipment supporting protective operations. The role provides turn-key RF spectrum analysis and deconfliction, performs equipment setup, verification, and take-down at designated sites, maintains equipment in a constant state of readiness for immediate activation, conducts real-time system health monitoring and troubleshooting, and integrates CUAS detection, tracking, and mitigation data with client command-and-control systems. This event-based role requires domestic and international travel and the ability to support 24/7 operational coverage.

Work Location

Washington, DC with ability to travel nationwide in support of protection events; event-based onsite support required.

Work Arrangement

Onsite/event-based support with potential 24/7 operational coverage.

Clearance

U.S. citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain required federal suitability or security clearance as required for the assignment.

Responsibilities

• Deliver turn-key 24/7 RF spectrum analysis for each protective mission; conduct RF deconfliction to optimize CUAS equipment placement and minimize interference with mission-critical communications.
• Deploy, set up, verify, and maintain proper operation of government-furnished CUAS equipment at designated operational sites, including real-time system health monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Dismantle and securely store CUAS equipment following each event, ensuring all assets are maintained in a state of readiness for rapid redeployment.
• Maintain CUAS systems in a continuous stand-by posture, ready for immediate activation upon client request; monitor for and respond to unauthorized drone activity in real time.
• Integrate CUAS equipment and data feeds with client command-and-control infrastructure to enable coordinated detection, tracking, and mitigation of aerial threats.
• Support secure, encrypted communications and data transmission; implement secure authentication and access controls in accordance with federal cybersecurity standards.
• Conduct interoperability testing with client IT personnel prior to each operation to validate connectivity, data distribution, and integration with applicable command-and-control platforms.
• Perform preventive and corrective maintenance; manage spare parts, repair services, and logistics to sustain uninterrupted mission capability.
• Provide on-site or remote IT support during protection events to troubleshoot and resolve network or integration issues in real time.
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, work in adverse weather, climb ladders, work on rooftops, and lift 50 lbs. unassisted.
• Maintain documentation of maintenance activities, system performance, incident logs, after-action reviews, and network configuration, integration, and troubleshooting guides for client review.
• Participate in advance planning meetings, pre-operation briefings, and post-operation debriefings with client stakeholders.
• Adhere to all client security protocols, information-handling requirements, and applicable federal IT and cybersecurity standards.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the position; sponsorship may be available for qualified personnel as needed.
• Experience with CUAS detection, tracking, and mitigation systems, RF spectrum analysis, and/or RF deconfliction.
• Experience deploying, setting up, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting electronic, RF, or C-UAS systems in field/operational environments.
• Experience with secure network connectivity, encrypted data transmission, and integration with command-and-control systems.
• Ability to complete required client- or government-provided training within the established qualification period.
• Ability to travel nationwide and internationally and support variable schedules, including nights, weekends, holidays, extended shifts, and 24/7 event coverage.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and teamwork skills; ability to work independently in high-pressure environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Electronics technician background or equivalent formal technical training.
• Military or federal CUAS, SIGINT, electronic warfare (EW), or RF/communications systems experience.
• Experience with secure command-and-control, situational awareness, or tactical data-distribution systems.
• Manufacturer or platform-specific CUAS certifications.
• Prior experience supporting federal protective services, public safety operations, high-security missions, or large-scale special events.
• Active Top Secret clearance.

Performance Standards

• 100% coverage during all designated protection periods.
• Continuous stand-by readiness with immediate activation upon client request.
• Successful integration and operation with applicable client systems for every designated mission or event.
• Full compliance with all applicable laws, client directives, security requirements, and IT and cybersecurity standards.

Salary

$80,000 - $110,000

Additional benefits include

• Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Pre-Tax 401K and/or After-Tax Roth IRA (with employer matching contribution)
• Tuition and Technical Training Reimbursement
• Wellness Benefit
• Tech Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, keyboard, and standard office equipment
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer workThe employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds
• Fine hand manipulation (keyboarding)

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Exposure to general office conditions while conducting office duties
• Moderate noise (i.e., business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic)
• Ability to work in a confined area
• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period

Working at Edgewater Federal Solutions:Edgewater Federal Solutions is a privately held government contracting firm located in Frederick, MD. The company was founded in 2002 with the vision of being highly recognized and admired for supporting customer missions through employee empowerment, exceptional services, and timely delivery. Edgewater Federal Solutions is ISO 9001, 20000-1, 270001 certified, appraised at CMMI Level 3 Maturity for Development and Services, and has been named in the Top Workplaces in the Greater Washington Area Small Companies since 2018.

EdgewaterFederal Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It has been and continues to be our policy to provide equal employment to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status and/or other status protected by applicable law.