Field Drone Operations Lead (Military)

HavocAI; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (employer paid)

Life Insurance (Employer Paid)

401k matching

Unlimited PTO with minimum 2 weeks

Equity package

Work/Home Office stipend

Global Entry

16 weeks paid parental leave

Health and wellness stipend

Job summary

HavocAI in the United States seeks an Air Operations Specialist to deploy and operate autonomous drone systems alongside military customers. This field-first role requires disciplined execution, rapid learning, and the ability to thrive in ambiguous environments with a technically deep team and senior military leadership.

You’ll plan and brief drone missions, operate small UAS in live events and exercises, and translate operational needs into actionable inputs for Mission Operations and Product

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with military drone systems and operational employment tactics.
• Experience planning and briefing drone operations to diverse audiences.
• Personal passion for small UAS beyond professional use.

Responsibilities

• Deploy to live events and exercises to operate small UAS systems, integrate with military units, and ensure mission success in the field.
• Plan, coordinate, and brief drone operations to military customers and internal stakeholders, ranging from small teams to senior military leadership.
• Support hardware and software development through operational test events and customer demonstrations, providing real-world operator feedback to engineering teams.
• Serve as a trusted interface with military customers, understanding operational needs and translating them into actionable inputs for Mission Operations and Product teams.
• Identify operational gaps, surface issues, and contribute to refining tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for autonomous systems.
• Collaborate across the Mission Operations team, contributing wherever needed to support the mission while maintaining a team-first mindset.

Skills

Military drone experience

Operations planning

Briefing operations

ArduPilot / PX4

GCS platforms

RF fundamentals

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot

Travel readiness

Communication skills

Tools

ArduPilot

Mission Planner

QGroundControl

Job description

HavocAI in the United States seeks an Air Operations Specialist to deploy and operate autonomous drone systems alongside military customers. This field-first role requires disciplined execution, rapid learning, and the ability to thrive in ambiguous environments with a technically deep team and senior military leadership.

You’ll plan and brief drone missions, operate small UAS in live events and exercises, and translate operational needs into actionable inputs for Mission Operations and Product