Drone Pilot (California) - Evergreen

Cyberhawk LTD; California; On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Mobile phone allowance

Adventure draw

Referral program

Job summary

Cyberhawk is seeking skilled UAV pilots for field-based aerial inspections across California and other US projects. You will operate UAS platforms, gather high-quality imagery and data, and ensure compliance with safety procedures and client requirements.

Starting as a UAV Pilot level, you’ll progress through Experienced and Senior Pilot roles with structured evaluations after a 45-day review period. Travel and outdoor work are extensive, with focus on safety and data quality.

Qualifications

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• Strong commitment to safety and following procedures.
• Ability to work independently in field environments.
• Willingness to travel extensively in CA and the US.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate UAS platforms in accordance with FAA regulations and client requirements.
• Conduct aerial inspections and collect high-quality imagery/data.
• Complete pre-flight planning, airspace checks and equipment inspections.
• Maintain situational awareness and make safe operational decisions.
• Manage flight data and ensure accurate data capture.
• Troubleshoot UAS equipment and identify potential issues.
• Collaborate with Lead Pilots, Project Managers and field personnel.

Skills

FAA Part 107

Safety focus

Field operations

Communication skills

Travel extensively

Tools

UAS platforms

Flight data handling

Job description

About us:

Founded in 2008, Cyberhawk™ is the first company in the world to use drones to inspect industrial assets. Cyberhawk’s world-class pilots and inspection engineers complete hundreds of thousands of UAS inspections per year, for 300+ customers across 40 countries.

Today, the Cyberhawk team continues to lead the way in close visual inspections of critical assets, including electrical grids, power generation sites, oil and gas structures and capital-intensive industrial construction projects – while always putting safety at the forefront of our operational excellence.

Using Cyberhawk’s intuitive, cloud-based visualization software platform, iHawk™, we consolidate diverse sources of inspection data to provide a single source of truth for assets at any scale and translate these findings into actions. We are experts at finding defects in critical energy infrastructure which can impact the environment and the communities our customers serve, and we deliver solutions which are critical to our customers’ ability to document capital intensive industrial sites.

Cyberhawk is changing the way our industry has operated for 75 years by empowering our customers to harness the full power of their data and visual assets, both integrating into workflows, and sharing this information across their enterprises. This leads to better decisions, faster, saving our customers hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate UAS platforms in accordance with FAA regulations, company procedures and customer requirements.
• Conduct aerial inspections and collect high-quality imagery and data across critical infrastructure assets.
• Complete pre-flight planning, airspace checks, risk assessments and equipment inspections.
• Maintain situational awareness and make safe operational decisions in changing field conditions.
• Manage flight data and ensure accurate and complete data capture.
• Troubleshoot UAS equipment and identify potential technical issues.
• Work closely with Lead Pilots, Project Managers and other field personnel.
• Maintain accurate flight, safety and operational records.
• Support a strong safety culture and proactively identify and report hazards.
• Travel extensively and work outdoors across a variety of terrain, weather conditions and project environments.
• As experience develops, support more complex scopes, multiple platforms and the training and mentoring of other pilots.

What We're Looking For

We’re interested in applicants at all stages of their commercial UAS career.

Minimum requirements:

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• Strong commitment to safety and following operational procedures.
• Ability to work independently in field environments.
• Comfortable working outdoors and travelling extensively.
• Valid US Driver’s Licence.
• Eligible to live and work in the United States.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
• Able to maintain focus and situational awareness during UAS operations.
• Able to walk over uneven terrain and lift equipment weighing up to approximately 35 lbs

Experience

You don’t need experience in all of these areas. Your skills and experience will help us determine the appropriate pilot level and project opportunities:

• Commercial UAS operations
• Transmission and distribution inspections
• Utility or energy-sector experience
• Close visual inspection
• Multiple UAS platforms and payloads
• Complex airspace operations
• Data collection and management
• UAS troubleshooting and maintenance
• Extended field deployments
• Working within structured safety and operational procedures
• Coaching or mentoring less experienced pilots

Pilot Levels and 45-Day Review Period

UAV Pilot
You have the required FAA certification and a solid foundation in UAS operations, with the ability and willingness to develop your commercial inspection experience.

Experienced Pilot
You have established commercial UAS experience and can confidently undertake field operations with increasing independence across different projects and scopes.

Senior Pilot
You bring significant commercial UAS and inspection experience, can operate across complex scopes and platforms, and may support coaching, technical problem-solving and the development of other pilots.

All new hires will begin at the UAV Pilot level. The first 45 days of employment will serve as a review period, during which performance will be assessed against Cyberhawk’s standards and expectations, including:

• Flight execution and decision-making
• Safety and regulatory compliance
• Adherence to company procedures
• Communication, reliability and professionalism
• Overall performance and alignment with the expectations of the role

At the end of the review period, a formal assessment will take place with the Lead Pilot and Operations Manager. The outcome will determine the employee’s appropriate pilot level and any adjustment to pay. Progression is based on the assessment outcome and is not guaranteed.

Travel & Field Working

This is a highly field-based role. Depending on the project, pilots may be required to travel extensively throughout California and occasionally to projects elsewhere in the United States.

Candidates should be comfortable with a nomadic working environment, extended periods away from home and changing project locations.

Actual starting pay will depend on the position offered, pilot level, relevant commercial UAS experience, technical competency and project requirements.

Additional Details:

• Eligibility to live and work in the US with high fluency in English.
• Valid Driver’s License required · This is a nomadic position and can be relocated within the applicable service territory at any point in time and may require occasional weekend and/or holiday work. · This position is eligible for per diems when away from your permanent residence
• The successful candidate will be required to complete a criminal background check and motor vehicle check during the onboarding process.

Company US Benefits:

• Employee medical, dental and vision insurance paid for 100% by the company
• Basic life insurance, short-term disability and long-term disability covered 100% by the company
• Other voluntary health benefits – hospital, accident, critical illness and voluntary life insurance
• Paid company holidays, Flexible PTO, and Sick time
• 401k with a 5% company match
• Mobile phone allowance
• Monthly adventure draw
• Employee Referral Program

Cyberhawk, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values equality, diversity, and an inclusive work environment.