Drone Pilot: Reality Capture & Data Delivery Expert

Jacobs; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Stock purchase discount

Unlimited PPTO

7 paid holidays

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a technically focused Drone Pilot to safely transform aerial data into practical project information across construction, BIM/VDC, and digital delivery workflows. This role supports design, construction, commissioning, and facility operations with a strong emphasis on safety and data quality. The position offers hybrid work arrangements in the U.S.

and requires operating across active sites and remote locations as needed. Base compensation reflects market norms for U.S.

Qualifications

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• 3+ years of experience operating commercial drones.
• Experience developing flight plans and executing UAS operations around active construction or industrial sites.
• Working knowledge of photogrammetry, orthomosaics, 3D meshes, point clouds, DSMs.
• Understanding of construction sequencing, BIM/VDC coordination, and field verification workflows.
• Experience with survey control, coordinate systems, georeferencing, and accuracy requirements.
• Experience processing, validating, publishing, and archiving large imagery and reality-capture datasets.
• Ability to interpret construction drawings, BIM models, site plans, and project schedules.
• Strong safety awareness and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct commercial drone flights in adherence to FAA regulations and project requirements.
• Maintain pilot credentials, registrations, flight logs, and pre‑flight documentation.
• Perform pre‑flight inspections of aircraft, batteries, sensors, and data storage.
• Operate drones safely in construction/industrial environments with proper separation distances.
• Coordinate flight windows, airspace access, and site security with stakeholders.
• Use visual observers/spotters and site protocols as required.
• Respond to changing weather and site conditions with mitigations.

Skills

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

Commercial drone operation

Flight planning

Photogrammetry/data processing

BIM/VDC coordination

Georeferencing/accuracy

Drone data analysis

Tools

DJI enterprise platforms

DJI Pilot 2

Autodesk Construction Cloud

ReCap/ReCap Pro

Pix4D/DroneDeploy/Propeller

Navisworks/Revit/Civil 3D

ArcGIS

Job description

Jacobs is seeking a technically focused Drone Pilot to safely transform aerial data into practical project information across construction, BIM/VDC, and digital delivery workflows. This role supports design, construction, commissioning, and facility operations with a strong emphasis on safety and data quality. The position offers hybrid work arrangements in the U.S.

and requires operating across active sites and remote locations as needed. Base compensation reflects market norms for U.S.