The Role
As Field Ops + Training Lead, you will own the real-world adoption engine: pilots, onboarding, training, SOPs, and the operational loop that turns field reality into product improvements. You’ll run live deployments and training days, teach operators to succeed fast, and build the playbooks that make the drone usable under stress.
You’ll also be the voice of the operator inside the company—translating “this felt sketchy” into specific, testable engineering tickets (with context like environment, lighting, dust, interference, user actions, and repro steps).
This role works closely with the founder (who owns sales/BD/partnerships) and the engineering team. Your output is adoption, retention, and field-ready reliability—measured in fewer failures, faster learning curves, and smoother ops.
Early Outputs (First 60–90 Days)
You’ll build the core operating system for field success:
- Pilot playbook: how we run pilots end-to-end (setup → training → scenarios → evaluation → handoff).
- Training curriculum: two formats that actually work in the real world:
- 30-minute quick-start (for busy teams)
- 2-hour operator block (skills + scenarios + troubleshooting)
- Maintenance/repair loop: lightweight process for inspection, cleaning, parts replacement, and turnaround—plus what we track.
- Structured feedback pipeline: a consistent system capturing what broke, why, how often, and under what conditions—feeding directly into engineering priorities.
Responsibilities
Field Pilots & Deployments
- Plan and run pilots with agencies: pre-brief, on-site setup, scenario execution, evaluation, and next steps.
- Create repeatable “pilot kit” standards (checklists, spares, batteries, cleaning, logs, reporting).
- Capture outcomes and operator feedback with discipline—no vibes-only conclusions.
Training & Doctrine
- Build SOP-friendly workflows and training materials (one-pagers, checklists, quick reference cards).
- Train teams quickly and confidently in realistic environments (indoors, low light, dust, cramped spaces).
- Teach not just “how to fly,” but how to operate: where drones fit in the stack, handoffs, comms, and best practices.
Maintenance & Reliability in the Real World
- Own inspection and maintenance guidelines: pre-flight, post-flight, and periodic checks.
- Build a repair/replace loop for field issues: intake → triage → fix → verification → return to service.
- Track reliability metrics and failure modes (e.g., dust ingestion, prop damage, sensor occlusion, link degradation).
Product Feedback & Engineering Translation
- Convert operator pain into high-quality engineering inputs:
- environment + conditions
- steps to reproduce
- logs/video evidence when possible
- severity and frequency
- suggested mitigations (training vs hardware vs software)
- Maintain a “field reality backlog” that engineering can actually execute against.
What “Good” Looks Like
- Agencies can go from zero to capable in one session.
- Training is simple, memorable, and resilient to stress.
- Operators trust the system because failure modes are understood and mitigated.
- Engineering gets crisp feedback with reproducible details—not “it was weird.”
- The pilot process is repeatable: run it 10 times and it gets faster every time.
Required Qualifications
- Prior experience as an operator, trainer, or instructor in a relevant domain (public safety, tactical teams, SAR, fire, EMS, military, security, or comparable operational environment).
- Hands-on experience using drones in real-world ops (not just recreational flying).
- Strong training ability: you can teach calmly, clearly, and under time pressure.
- Excellent written communication: you can produce SOP-grade documentation that teams actually use.
- High operational discipline: checklists, logs, and consistent processes are your default.
- Willingness to travel for pilots and trainings (likely frequent in early stage).
Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have)
- Experience as a UAS program lead, instructor, or evaluator for an agency or unit.
- Familiarity with indoor micro drones and GPS-denied operations.
- Experience building training programs (curriculum design, scenario design, proficiency scoring).
- Evidence-handling mindset: you naturally capture conditions, artifacts, and timeline details.
- Comfort working alongside engineering teams and using ticketing systems to track issues.
Working Style & Traits We Value
- You’re calm under chaos and allergic to sloppy thinking.
- You’re operator-first, but you understand engineering constraints.
- You don’t exaggerate. You measure and document.
- You can say “this failed” without ego—and then you fix the loop.
Location
Orange County, CA preferred. This role is field-heavy, so you can be based elsewhere if you can travel reliably and participate in periodic on-site test weeks.
Compensation
Competitive salary + equity, commensurate with experience and fit.
