Drone Pilot and Field Operations Lead

Company Overview

Voltair builds drones that recharge off power lines. We are a technology company funded by Y Combinator (W26). Our mission is to prevent wildfires by building the first persistent inspection network for America's electric grid. Our autonomous drones safely perch on live power lines to inductively recharge, providing continuous power line inspections to solve the observability crisis for critical infrastructure.

Job Summary

Voltair is hiring a Drone Pilot and Field Operations Lead to support nationwide utility inspection work. This role is focused on field execution, mission planning, operational reliability, and building a large distributed drone operations program, servicing power utilities across the United States. The position involves extensive travel, field coordination, and responsibility for collecting high-quality inspection data. The ideal candidate combines strong drone flight skills with working knowledge of electrical infrastructure and a disciplined approach to field operations.

Throughout all stages of growth, Voltair will need strong field operational proficiency. This role will evolve to lead and manage all field operations, first manual operations and R&D testing, and later supporting and maintaining all deployed autonomous assets.

Current Location Requirements

• Region: PNW
• Target Cities: Spokane, Pullman, Boise, Missoula
• Onsite/Remote Details: Travel and deployment required across the United States

Salary Range / Pay

$25-45/hr part-time contractor, with a potential transition to a full-time salaried role in 3-6 months as the company scales to meet growing utility inspection demands.

Key Responsibilities

Field Operations:

• Fly drones for power line inspections across varied terrain.
• Conduct mission planning prior to each inspection, accounting for weather, terrain, airspace, and other operational constraints.
• Maintain consistent field documentation and follow defined safety procedures.
• Coordinate with customer operations teams regarding inspection schedules, on-sites, and day-of logistics.

Team Building and Leadership:

• Participate in the hiring, onboarding, and training of future drone pilots.
• Contribute to establishing standards, workflows, and best practices for a scalable, nationwide drone operations organization.
• Act as Mission Crew Commander or provide supervision of flight operations.

Internal Collaboration:

• Provide structured feedback to improve internal tools, including flight planning, data capture, and reporting workflows.
• Work closely with the software team to refine how inspection data is delivered and how pilots interact with field systems.

Customer Service

• Rate Payers: stay calm and composed when engaging rate payers during on-sites, especially in rural areas where local residents are not accustomed to drone activity.
• Utility Operations — communicate quickly and professionally with all power utility operations stakeholders to provide situational awareness for any ongoing inspection activities.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience:

• Experience leading small teams.
• Candidates should meet one of the following: Skilled drone pilot with real-world operational experience, OR 
• Deep knowledge of utility or electrical infrastructure, such as (apprentice) linemen, electrical engineers, or power electronics engineers.

Physical/Logistical:

• Ability to travel frequently across the United States.
• Risk-averse operating style: reliable field judgment and adherence to safety standards.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• Ability to work in volatile weather conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, stand/walk for 8-10 hours.

Desired / Bonus Qualifications

• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
• Experience in construction, utility operations, telecom, agriculture, forestry, military, or other field-based work.
• Comfort with technical topics such as camera settings, resolution, file formats, sensor behavior, and battery systems.
• Interest in increasing operational efficiency.
• Experience with commercial UAS industry or aviation safety experience (Safety Officer or similar).

Ideal Candidate Profile

This role is well suited for early-career linemen apprentices, power technicians, electrical engineers, power electronics engineers, or skilled tradespeople who want to build a career in field operations and lead a large, modern drone fleet. The position offers the opportunity to directly influence how a national drone operations team is developed, managed, and scaled.