Drone Pilot – Reality Capture - Mission Critical

Alston Construction; Harlingen (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Job summary

Alston Construction is seeking a Drone Pilot to plan, execute, and document daily drone flights on a hyperscale data center project. Working in the Mission Critical division, you will capture progress imagery and reality capture data to support project controls, scheduling, quality, safety, and owner reporting.

The role requires a current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and hands-on experience with Skydio drones and drone data processing tools.

Qualifications

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is required.
• High school diploma or equivalent; degree in CM/Geomatics preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of commercial drone operations experience on large sites is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute daily drone flights to capture progress imagery and reality capture data.
• Ensure all flights are completed and properly documented; coordinate with site teams to avoid conflicts.
• Upload, process, and organize data to Skydio Cloud and project platforms with verified data integrity.
• Maintain flight paths and locations for consistent data across the project lifecycle.
• Perform pre-flight and post-flight inspections and maintain flight logs and equipment.
• Coordinate with superintendents and safety teams; obtain necessary FAA authorizations.
• Support project controls with imagery for schedule updates and owner reports.
• Assist VDC/BIM teams with photogrammetry and as-built comparisons as needed.
• Maintain organized archive of flight data and periodic data delivery reports.

Skills

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

Drone operations

Photogrammetry / reality capture

Team coordination

Education

High school diploma

Degree in Construction Management / Geomatics preferred

Tools

Skydio drones

Skydio Cloud

DroneDeploy

Pix4D

Autodesk ReCap

Procore

Job description

About Alston Construction:

Alston Construction Company is a nationwide general contractor, with more than 20 offices coast to coast. For over 35 years we have delivered on our promises to our employees, clients, and business partners. We offer extremely competitive salaries, a superb benefits package, and a great place to work! In addition to routinely receiving awards for our projects and safety performance, we have also received numerous “Best Places to Work” awards!

We look for passionate construction professionals who share our core values, to include: commitment, integrity, teamwork, and respect. As our CEO, Paul Little, says “In order to be successful at Alston Construction, you must enjoy seeing success in others.” If this sounds like you and what you’re looking for, we’d love to hear from you!

Our top tier benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, prescription safety glasses, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance/AD&D, HSA, health FSA, dependent daycare FSA, EAP, 401(k), Roth 401(k), After-Tax Roth In-Plan Conversion; paid vacation and sick time, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, Tickets at Work, paid Identity Theft Protection (family coverage) and more!

Job Summary:

The Drone Pilot is responsible for planning, executing, and documenting daily drone flights on a hyperscale data center project using Skydio autonomous drone platforms. Working within the Mission Critical division, the Drone Pilot captures progress imagery, site documentation, and reality capture data that support project controls, scheduling, quality, safety, and owner reporting. The Drone Pilot owns the full flight-to-data workflow: ensuring every scheduled mission is flown safely and in compliance with FAA regulations, and that all captured data is properly processed, uploaded, organized, and delivered to the project team on time. The successful candidate must hold a current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and bring solid experience with commercial drone operations, construction sites, and data management.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute daily drone flights using Skydio drones (including autonomous and scheduled missions) to capture site progress, aerial photography, video, and reality capture data across the project site.
• Ensure all scheduled flights are completed each day; track flight completion against the established flight plan and promptly communicate and reschedule any missed or weather-delayed missions.
• Upload, process, and organize all captured flight data daily to Skydio Cloud and the designated project platforms (e.g., Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, or other owner-required systems), verifying data integrity, completeness, and correct file naming and folder structure.
• Develop and maintain repeatable flight paths and capture locations so that progress imagery is consistent and comparable over the life of the project.
• Perform pre-flight and post-flight inspections, maintain detailed flight logs, and manage batteries, firmware updates, docking stations, and routine equipment maintenance in accordance with manufacturer and company requirements.
• Monitor weather, airspace, NOTAMs, and site conditions before each flight; obtain LAANC or other FAA airspace authorizations and waivers as required.
• Coordinate flight activities daily with superintendents, the site safety team, crane operators, and other trades to avoid conflicts with lifts, overhead work, and personnel on the ground.
• Comply with owner/client site security, confidentiality, and imagery-handling requirements, ensuring sensitive areas are captured, stored, and shared only as authorized.
• Support project controls by providing progress imagery and data used for schedule updates, earned value reporting, monthly owner reports, and progress meetings.
• Assist the VDC/BIM team with photogrammetry, orthomosaics, point clouds, and as-built comparisons against design models, as required.
• Support quality control, safety, and site logistics teams with on-demand flights for inspections, incident documentation, stockpile and earthwork tracking, and roof and envelope reviews.
• Maintain an organized archive of flight data and produce periodic flight activity and data delivery reports for project leadership.

Education, Experience, and Licensing/Certifications:

• Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is required, with recurrent training maintained throughout employment.
• High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Surveying, Geomatics, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of commercial drone operations experience; experience on large commercial, industrial, or mission critical construction sites strongly preferred.
• Hands-on experience with Skydio drones (e.g., Skydio X10, Skydio Dock) and Skydio Cloud is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with photogrammetry and reality capture software (e.g., DroneDeploy, Pix4D, Autodesk ReCap) and construction management platforms (e.g., Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud) is preferred.
• Experience obtaining LAANC authorizations and working under FAA waivers (e.g., BVLOS or operations over people) is a plus.
• Must be a self-motivated individual who works well with multi-disciplinary teams in a deadline-driven environment.

Alston Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer.