Drone Pilot-Reality Capture & Digital Delivery (Data Centers)

Jacobs; Cary (NC); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with stock purchase

Paid time off

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. You will develop flight plans, execute operations near active sites, and deliver orthomosaic and 3D data for design, construction, commissioning, and facility operations.

The role offers a hybrid work arrangement across the U.S. with comprehensive health, retirement benefits, and stock opportunities.

Qualifications

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is required.
• 3+ years of experience operating commercial drones in construction, engineering, surveying, industrial, or infrastructure environments.
• Experience developing flight plans and executing UAS operations around active sites.

Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct commercial drone flights in accordance with FAA regulations and site procedures.
• Maintain pilot credentials, aircraft registrations, operating records, pre-flight documentation, and flight logs.
• Perform pre‑flight inspections and verify aircraft, batteries, sensors, firmware, and data storage capacity.
• Operate drones safely in construction and industrial environments with appropriate safety measures.
• Coordinate flight windows, airspace restrictions, and site access with project stakeholders.
• Publish or transfer deliverables to ACC, BIM tools, GIS platforms, or other designated environments.
• Follow safety, compliance, and quality requirements and document lessons learned.

Skills

Remote drone operations

Communication skills

Documentation skills

Stakeholder engagement

Education

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

Tools

DJI enterprise platforms

Autodesk ReCap

Pix4D

DroneDeploy

Propeller

Navisworks

Revit

ArcGIS

Job description

At Jacobs, we’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world’s most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

This job opportunity is available at ANY location in the United States. Ideally, selected candidates will be near a JACOBS U.S. based office, but we intend to hire the \"best\" candidates.

Key Responsibilities

UAS Flight Operations

• Plan and conduct commercial drone flights in accordance with FAA regulations, company policies, project requirements, and site‑specific safety procedures.
• Maintain required pilot credentials, aircraft registrations, operating records, pre‑flight documentation, and flight logs.
• Perform pre‑flight inspections and verify aircraft, batteries, sensors, firmware, remote‑controller settings, and data‑storage capacity.
• Operate drones safely in active construction, industrial, and data center environments while maintaining situational awareness and required separation distances.
• Coordinate flight windows, airspace restrictions, site access, security requirements, and operational constraints with project stakeholders.
• Use appropriate visual observers, spotters, and site communication protocols when required.
• Respond appropriately to changing weather, site conditions, equipment issues, and other operational risks.

Reality Capture & Data Acquisition

• Capture high‑quality aerial imagery, video, 360‑degree imagery, and other UAS data for design, construction, commissioning, and operational use cases.
• Develop repeatable flight plans and capture standards for progress documentation, quantity verification, site logistics, existing‑condition documentation, and turnover verification.
• Collect nadir and oblique imagery suitable for photogrammetry, orthomosaics, 3D meshes, point clouds, digital elevation models, and topographic or volumetric analysis.
• Coordinate ground control points, checkpoints, survey control, and site reference information when required for accurate mapping and model production.
• Integrate drone data with terrestrial laser scanning, BIM models, GIS data, schedules, and digital twin platforms, and asset‑information systems.
• Ensure captured data is complete, properly organized, and traceable to the project, location, date, flight, and applicable coordinate system, and meets project quality requirements for downstream processing and analysis.

Data Processing & Deliverables

• Process and quality‑check drone imagery and reality‑capture data using approved software and project workflows.
• Produce orthomosaic maps, 3D models, point clouds, digital surface models, progress exhibits, inspection images, and site documentation packages.
• Publish or transfer approved deliverables to Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), project document‑management systems, GIS platforms, or other designated environments.
• Perform visual and technical quality checks for image clarity, coverage, overlap, alignment, control, coordinate systems, file naming, and metadata.
• Coordinate with VDC and design teams to compare captured conditions against BIM models, drawings, schedules, construction plans, and model coordination environments.
• Maintain organized project archives and ensure raw data, processed data, reports, and final deliverables can be retrieved for future reference.

Construction, Inspection & Project Support

• Support construction progress tracking, workface planning, site logistics, schedule reviews, and 4D coordination activities.
• Provide aerial documentation to support installation verification, quality reviews, safety observations, commissioning, punch‑list resolution, and turnover.
• Assist with documentation of hard‑to‑access, elevated, or potentially hazardous areas when drone operations provide a safer alternative to conventional access methods.
• Collaborate with project teams to define flight objectives, required accuracy, image coverage, frequency, and deliverable formats before mobilization or fieldwork.
• Communicate findings clearly and identify limitations, data gaps, obstructions, or conditions that may affect the reliability or intended use of deliverables.
• Participate in site visits, coordination meetings, and demonstrations to promote effective use of drone data across the project lifecycle.

Safety, Compliance & Quality

• Follow FAA Part 107, applicable airspace authorizations, company aviation procedures, site safety plans, environmental requirements, and client security protocols.
• Complete job hazard analyses, flight risk assessments, pre‑task planning, and required permits or approvals before flight operations.
• Maintain awareness of personnel, cranes, energized equipment, temporary structures, aircraft, wildlife, weather, and other hazards.
• Protect confidential project, client, facility, and security‑sensitive information in accordance with project requirements and company policy.
• Participate in equipment maintenance, incident reporting, lessons learned, and continuous improvement of UAS workflows and standards.

Systems & Technology

• Preferred Software & Equipment Experience
• DJI enterprise or equivalent commercial UAS platforms
• DJI Pilot 2 or comparable flight‑control applications
• Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)
• Autodesk ReCap and ReCap Pro
• Pix4D, DroneDeploy, Propeller, or comparable photogrammetry platforms
• Navisworks, Revit, Civil 3D, or other BIM coordination tools
• Bentley Context Capture or comparable 3D reality‑capture software
• ArcGIS or other GIS platforms
• Cloud‑based data storage, document management, and visualization platforms
• GNSS/GPS equipment, ground control targets, and survey accessories

Here’s what you’ll need

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• 3+ years of experience operating commercial drones, preferably in construction, engineering, surveying, industrial, infrastructure, or facility environments.
• Experience developing flight plans and executing UAS operations around active construction or industrial sites.
• Working knowledge of photogrammetry, orthomosaics, 3D meshes, point clouds, digital elevation models, and volumetric data.
• Understanding of construction sequencing, BIM/VDC coordination, design documentation, 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 ability to work within formal project and client compliance programs.
• Excellent communication, organization, documentation, and stakeholder‑engagement skills.
• Ability to travel to project sites and work flexible hours when flight windows require off‑shift or weekend operations.

Ideally, you’ll have

• Experience operating a Skydio X10 drone

Ideal Candidate

Seeking a technically focused Drone Pilot who can safely and consistently transform aerial data into practical project information. The ideal candidate combines strong UAS operating discipline with an understanding of construction, BIM/VDC, reality capture, and digital delivery. This individual is proactive, detail‑oriented, and comfortable working with project teams to identify meaningful use cases, produce dependable deliverables, and improve how drone data supports design, construction, commissioning, facility operations, and digital delivery initiatives.

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well‑being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full‑time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $75,300.00 to $103,500.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on August 31, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.