Drone Geospatial Team Lead — Field Technician

NatCarbon Africa; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 780,000; Full time

Job summary

NatCarbon Africa seeks a Senior Geospatial Field Technician to lead UAV-based monitoring and data collection for the Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape. You will coordinate a team of technicians and Young Professionals, ensuring on-time, on-budget deliveries with high technical and safety standards.

You will conduct drone flights, process imagery, and integrate outputs with GIS systems while mentoring junior staff and liaising with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in Geomatics, Remote Sensing, GIS, Environmental Science, Earth Science, Engineering, Land Surveying, or related field.
• 2–5 years’ UAV operations, remote sensing, geospatial field monitoring or similar experience.
• Valid Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC); BVLOS rating is required.
• South African driver’s licence; off-road driving experience advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Serve as field point-of-contact between the Geospatial Team Lead and field technicians/young professionals.
• Plan, lead and coordinate daily activities and schedules for the geospatial team.
• Supervise and mentor team; ensure safe UAV operations and data quality.
• Conduct UAV flights with advanced sensors; ensure aviation and safety compliance.
• Perform post-flight data processing and integrate with GIS systems.
• Manage geospatial data systems with proper storage, versioning, and metadata.

Skills

Leadership

UAV operations

Data management

GIS (ArcGIS/QGIS)

Photogrammetry

Communication

Team leadership

Field safety

Bilingual (English/Afrikaans)

Education

Geospatial/Geomatics degree

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

Agisoft Metashape

DJI Terra

Job description

NatCarbon Africa seeks a Senior Geospatial Field Technician to lead UAV-based monitoring and data collection for the Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape. You will coordinate a team of technicians and Young Professionals, ensuring on-time, on-budget deliveries with high technical and safety standards.

You will conduct drone flights, process imagery, and integrate outputs with GIS systems while mentoring junior staff and liaising with cross-functional teams.