This job opportunity is available at ANY location in the United States. Ideally, selected candidates will be near a JACOBS U.S. based office, but we intend to hire the "best" candidates. The Drone Pilot is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing safe and accurate unmanned aircraft operations to support digital delivery, BIM/VDC, design, construction, commissioning, and facility documentation activities on large-scale data center and advanced manufacturing projects. This role captures reliable aerial imagery, video, mapping, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and other reality-capture data that enables teams to understand existing conditions, monitor progress, validate installed conditions, improve site logistics, and support digital twin and asset management initiatives. The successful candidate will possess strong knowledge of commercial UAS operations, FAA Part 107 requirements, flight planning, construction-site safety, photogrammetry, surveying fundamentals, and the production of useful, well-organized digital deliverables. The role requires close collaboration with project leadership, VDC, construction, design, design, surveying, safety, security, and client teams.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: UAS Flight Operations
Plan and conduct commercial drone flights in accordance with FAA regulations, company policies, project requirements, and site-specific safety procedures. Maintain required pilot credentials, aircraft registrations, operating records, pre-flight documentation, and flight logs. Perform pre-flight inspections and verify aircraft, batteries, sensors, firmware, remote-controller settings, and data-storage capacity. Operate drones safely in active construction, industrial, and data center environments while maintaining situational awareness and required separation distances. Coordinate flight windows, airspace restrictions, site access, security requirements, and operational constraints with project stakeholders. Use appropriate visual observers, spotters, and site communication protocols when required. Respond appropriately to changing weather, site conditions, equipment issues, and other operational risks.
Reality Capture & Data Acquisition:
Capture high-quality aerial imagery, video, 360-degree imagery, and other UAS data for design, construction, commissioning, and operational use cases. Develop repeatable flight plans and capture standards for progress documentation, quantity verification, site logistics, existing-condition documentation, and turnover verification. Collect nadir and oblique imagery suitable for photogrammetry, orthomosaics, 3D meshes, point clouds, digital elevation models, and topographic or volumetric analysis. Coordinate ground control points, checkpoints, survey control, and site reference information when required for accurate mapping and model production. Integrate drone data with terrestrial laser scanning, BIM models, GIS data, schedules, and digital twin platforms, and asset-information systems. Ensure captured data is complete, properly organized, and traceable to the project, location, date, flight, and applicable coordinate system, and meets project quality requirements for downstream processing and analysis.
Data Processing & Deliverables:
Process and quality-check drone imagery and reality-capture data using approved software and project workflows.
Produce orthomosaic maps, 3D models, point clouds, digital surface models, progress exhibits, inspection images, and site documentation packages.
Publish or transfer approved deliverables to Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), project document-management systems, GIS platforms, or other designated environments.
Perform visual and technical quality checks for image clarity, coverage, overlap, alignment, control, coordinate systems, file naming, and metadata.
Coordinate with VDC and design teams to compare captured conditions against BIM models, drawings, schedules, construction plans, and model coordination environments.
Maintain organized project archives and ensure raw data, processed data, reports, and final deliverables can be retrieved for future reference.
Construction, Inspection & Project Support:
Support construction progress tracking, workface planning, site logistics, schedule reviews, and 4D coordination activities.
Provide aerial documentation to support installation verification, quality reviews, safety observations, commissioning, punch-list resolution, and turnover.
Assist with documentation of hard-to-access, elevated, or potentially hazardous areas when drone operations provide a safer alternative to conventional access methods.
Collaborate with project teams to define flight objectives, required accuracy, image coverage, frequency, and deliverable formats before mobilization or fieldwork.
Communicate findings clearly and identify limitations, data gaps, obstructions, or conditions that may affect the reliability or intended use of deliverables.
Participate in site visits, coordination meetings, and demonstrations to promote effective use of drone data across the project lifecycle.
Safety, Compliance & Quality:- Follow FAA Part 107, applicable airspace authorizations, company aviation procedures, site safety plans, environmental requirements, and client security protocols.
- Complete job hazard analyses, flight risk assessments, pre-task planning, and required permits or approvals before flight operations.
- Maintain awareness of personnel, cranes, energized equipment, temporary structures, aircraft, wildlife, weather, and other hazards.
- Protect confidential project, client, facility, and security-sensitive information in accordance with project requirements and company policy.
- Participate in equipment maintenance, incident reporting, lessons learned, and continuous improvement of UAS workflows and standards.
- Systems & Technology
- Preferred Software & Equipment ExperienceDJI enterprise or equivalent commercial UAS platformsDJI Pilot 2 or comparable flight-control applications
- Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)
- Autodesk ReCap and ReCap ProPix4D, DroneDeploy, Propeller, or comparable photogrammetry platforms
- Navisworks, Revit, Civil 3D, or other BIM coordination tools
- Bentley Context Capture or comparable 3D reality-capture software
- ArcGIS or other GIS platforms
- Cloud-based data storage, document management, and visualization platformsGNSS/GPS equipment, ground control targets, and survey accessories
- Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.3+ years of experience operating commercial drones, preferably in construction, engineering, surveying, industrial, infrastructure, or facility environments.
- Experience developing flight plans and executing UAS operations around active construction or industrial sites.
- Working knowledge of photogrammetry, orthomosaics, 3D meshes, point clouds, digital elevation models, and volumetric data.
- Understanding of construction sequencing, BIM/VDC coordination, design documentation, and field verification workflows.
- Experience with survey control, coordinate systems, georeferencing, and accuracy requirements.
- Experience processing, validating, publishing, and archiving large imagery and reality-capture datasets.
- Ability to interpret construction drawings, BIM models, site plans, and project schedules.
- Strong safety awareness and ability to work within formal project and client compliance programs.
- Excellent communication, organization, documentation, and stakeholder-engagement skills.
- Ability to travel to project sites and work flexible hours when flight windows require off-shift or weekend operations.
- Ideally, you'll have:
- Experience operating a Skydio X10 drone
Ideal Candidate:
Seeking a technically focused Drone Pilot who can safely and consistently transform aerial data into practical project information. The ideal candidate combines strong UAS operating discipline with an understanding of construction, BIM/VDC, reality capture, and digital delivery. This individual is proactive, detail-oriented, and comfortable working with project teams to identify meaningful use cases, produce dependable deliverables, and improve how drone data supports design, construction, commissioning, facility operations, and digital delivery initiatives.#LI-LE1Jacobs is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, medical condition, marital or domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression and transgender status, mental disability or physical disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship, low-income status or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law. Learn more about your rights under Federal EEO laws and supplemental language.
