Drone Pilot (Contractor)

Sitemark•New York, NY

About The Position

Sitemark is building a vetted network of independent drone pilots to expand its U.S. field capability. Pilots operate their own commercial drone operations and fly solar-site missions matched to their region, equipment, and schedule. The role involves collecting data for reports used by major solar owners to build and operate their plants. Pilots receive a clear mission brief, agreed scope, and written rate before accepting each mission; flight and delivery standards are covered during onboarding and in the contractor agreement. Work may include opportunities to progress into higher-value surveys and construction work. This is an open call to join the network, not a single opening. Pilots provide and maintain their own compatible sUAS, sensors, batteries, field power, computer, internet access, transportation, PPE, environmental measurement tools, and any survey-grade positioning equipment required for a mission. Sitemark does not supply, rent, ship, or reimburse equipment. Pilots must complete remote onboarding and online training before their first paid assignment. Those who pass a qualification review are added to the active roster for their region. Compensation is negotiated and agreed in writing per mission, based on factors such as site size, complexity, sensor requirements, mobilization, time on site, and turnaround urgency. Travel and per diem are included in the rate unless the mission brief states otherwise. Payment is issued against the pilot’s invoice after dataset acceptance, under the Independent Contractor Agreement. Pilots are responsible for their own taxes, equipment maintenance and airworthiness, and regulatory compliance. Captured data belongs to Sitemark and its clients and may not be retained, reused, published, or distributed without written permission.

Requirements

Current FAA Part 107 certificate in good standing with a clean enforcement history.
At least two years of documented commercial UAS field experience.
Experience with automated mission planning over large, repetitive sites.
Working knowledge of thermal imaging, including radiometric capture, emissivity, thermal focus, palette and span, and conditions needed for a usable dataset.
Strong data management habits and ability to verify geotags and preserve positioning metadata.
Ability to execute a technical brief precisely and flag problems rather than improvise.
Professional conduct on active industrial sites with live electrical infrastructure.
Willingness to travel within the pilot’s region, including early departures and multi-day mobilizations.
Commercial UAS liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, with a certificate of insurance naming Sitemark and the asset owner as additional insured.
Authorization to work in the U.S. as an independent contractor, ability to complete a W-9 Form, and ability to pass a background check and client site screening.
A commercially maintained sUAS with a radiometric thermal sensor and high-resolution RGB; aircraft and payload must be on Sitemark’s compatible hardware list.
Sufficient batteries, charging, storage, and field power to complete large sites in a single mobilization.
A computer capable of offloading and reviewing large datasets in the field; single missions commonly produce hundreds of gigabytes.
Reliable high-bandwidth internet for uploading; remote-site connectivity, hotel Wi-Fi, or data caps are not accepted reasons for missing an upload window.
Reliable transportation, standard site PPE, and environmental measurement tools such as an irradiance meter and anemometer.

Nice To Haves

Dual-camera drone platform.
Survey-grade positioning capability for missions that require it, such as a GNSS base station, CORS network subscription, or NTRIP subscription for RTK/PPK corrections.
Utility-scale solar PV experience.
Familiarity with IEC TS 62446-3.
Level I or II Thermography certification.
RTK/PPK and GNSS survey experience.
Photogrammetry and GIS proficiency.
OSHA 10/30 certification.
Multiple aircraft in fleet.
Bilingual English/Spanish.

Responsibilities

Operate a personally owned commercial drone operation and fly solar-site missions across the United States, as assigned in the pilot’s region.
Capture and deliver data according to mission briefs, Sitemark’s flight and delivery standards, and applicable technical specifications.
Execute technical briefs precisely and flag problems rather than improvising.
Manage, offload, review, and upload large datasets; verify geotags and preserve positioning metadata.
Maintain compliant, airworthy equipment and provide required field equipment and resources.
Travel within the pilot’s region, including for early departures and multi-day mobilizations.
Complete remote onboarding and online training before the first paid assignment, and pass a qualification review to join the active regional roster.
Submit invoices for completed missions and comply with the contractor agreement, confidentiality, data ownership, insurance, and performance standards.