Drone Pilot (Contractor)

Sitemark

About The Position

Sitemark is building a vetted US network of independent drone pilots to perform solar-site missions. Pilots operate their own drone businesses and equipment, completing assignments matched to their region, gear, and schedule. Work includes flying solar sites and delivering data used in reports for major solar owners. Mission scope, requirements, and compensation are confirmed in writing before a pilot accepts an assignment. Work volume and assignments are not guaranteed; pilots may take on higher-value surveys and construction work as they gain experience in the network. Pilots provide and maintain all equipment, transportation, insurance, and regulatory compliance. Sitemark does not supply, rent, ship, or reimburse equipment. Pilots are paid for missions they fly and deliver, with payment issued against an invoice after dataset acceptance under the Independent Contractor Agreement. Travel and per diem are included in the rate unless the mission brief states otherwise. Pilots are responsible for their own taxes, and no withholding is performed. Captured data belongs to Sitemark and its clients and may not be retained, reused, published, or distributed without written permission. Before their first paid assignment, pilots complete Sitemark’s free, remote onboarding and online training once, covering solar-specific capture standards, deliverables, flight configurations, upload and quality-review workflows, field QC, safety, site conduct, and invoicing. Pilots who complete training and pass a qualification review are added to the active roster for their region.

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 to produce usable datasets.
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 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 US as an independent contractor, ability to complete a W-9 Form, and ability to pass a background check and client site screening.
Provide a commercially maintained sUAS with a radiometric thermal sensor and high-resolution RGB; aircraft and payload must appear on Sitemark’s compatible hardware list or receive written confirmation.
Provide sufficient batteries, charging, storage, and field power for large sites in a single mobilization.
Provide a computer capable of offloading and reviewing large datasets in the field and reliable high-bandwidth internet for uploading.
Provide reliable transportation, standard site PPE, and environmental measurement tools such as an irradiance meter and anemometer.

Nice To Haves

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.
Survey-grade positioning capability, such as a GNSS base station, CORS network subscription, or NTRIP subscription for RTK/PPK corrections.

Responsibilities

Operate a commercially maintained sUAS to complete assigned solar-site missions.
Plan and execute automated flights over large, repetitive sites in accordance with mission briefs and Sitemark’s technical standards.
Capture radiometric thermal and high-resolution RGB data using compatible equipment.
Manage, offload, review, and upload large datasets; verify geotags and preserve positioning metadata.
Follow mission scopes, delivery specifications, field quality-control expectations, and site safety requirements; flag problems rather than improvise.
Conduct yourself professionally on active industrial sites with live electrical infrastructure.
Travel within the assigned region, including early departures and multi-day mobilizations, as required by accepted missions.
Maintain equipment airworthiness, insurance, and regulatory compliance; submit invoices for completed assignments.