Manager, Technical Support National Security

Skydio

4d•$115,000 - $140,000•Remote

About The Position

Skydio is seeking an experienced customer support & field operational leader who has successfully coached and developed remote teams responsible for assisting defense and federal government customers with complex product and operational usage issues. Product scope encompasses all Skydio products, including Blue UAS/NDAA drones, docks, attachments & accessories, as well as OnPrem and Cloud BVLOS flight control software, and ATEK and other integrations. This role is responsible for 2 functional teams: Technical Customer Support Representatives (TCSR) who respond to inbound customer cases and Field Support Representatives (FSR) who engage onsite with customers spanning a wide range of operational optimization and usage issues. The TCSR team’s goal is high first-contact resolution 20/7, which is critical to minimizing operational disruption and delivering great customer experiences. The FSR team’s goal is to provide knowledge transfer and best practices to up range teams. The NatSec support team collaborates closely with other Commercial-focused Support teams and back office functions (e.g., field service repair & maintenance, logistics, license provisioning). Using technology from Salesforce Service Cloud to sophisticated IoT telemetry and log analysis tools to AI LLMs, this team prides itself on quickly reaching fact-based resolutions to complex product issues. Team success is measured by KPIs such as CSAT, First Contact Resolution, team development and productivity, and most importantly by customer experience and product engagement.

Requirements

5+ years of customer support leadership experience, including direct people management and ownership of operational KPIs
5+ years of defense / federal government work experience in a discipline relevant to UAS (e.g., UAS operations, maintenance, reconnaissance, etc.)
2+ years proven effectiveness at leading Support teams responsible for hardware, software and cloud products.
A passion for driving successful up range and down range operator outcomes in every engagement
Thrive on coaching and mentoring team members with decades of professional experience to achieve their best, and to align their work responsibilities to skills and capabilities
Empathy, motivation and ability to engage directly with defense/government customers in language and actions that build confidence and trust a situation and drive to a resolution–”be able to jump in and work a case”
Maintain directional perspective in the face of uncertainty, have confidence to move quickly, have introspection to absorb the wisdom of others
Self-directing, able to work effectively in times of stability as well as rapid change spanning a theater of operation to evolving product capabilities
Being an inquisitive and efficient learner in a sea on rapid change, be willing to take on new challenges and figure it out on the fly
Lead by example, be willing to help out with whatever is needed to get a customer situation resolved
Data-driven, which means using an analytical mindset to guide actions, and being able to create analytical tools to inform decisions is a must
Willingness to work extended hours, weekends, holidays and on-call support when the mission demands it, which is infrequent

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with UAS, robotics, and/or Internet of Things (IoT) products is a plus
Experience and appreciation for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and related tools, including Salesforce Service Cloud, Jira, Databricks or equivalents is a plus
Applied AI experience, anchored to an understanding of AI technology and its practical application in customer support scenarios is a plus
Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.

Responsibilities

Guide daily customer interactions to successful resolutions that enhance mission effectiveness and reduce operational risk
Own operational customer satisfaction and team productivity, engagement and growth to optimize outcomes
Directly contribute to building a strong, positive Skydio Brand by coaching a team that creates and delivers low-effort customer support experiences both remotely and in-person
Directly contribute to imagining and evolving what Skydio Support is as the company, its products, the UAS industry, and customers rapidly evolve and mature to meet the unique needs of national security agencies committed to protecting freedom
Continuously improve processes and policies to enhance customer experience, team engagement, and operational efficiency
Gain first-hand product knowledge from frequent use of Skydio products sufficient to engage in meaningful customer interactions and 1:1 conversations both internally and externally
Collaborate with the Skydio Mission Success Center of Excellence team to shape team training, quality management, and CRM efficiency and effectiveness
Close out each day with the knowledge that you’ve made something better