Project Manager, Gray Sky

Vexcel•Centennial, CO

14d•Remote

About The Position

Help deliver critical aerial imagery when communities need it most. The Project Manager, Gray Sky leads Vexcel's response to catastrophic events, primarily across the U.S., with global reach when needed. Gray Sky provides high-resolution aerial imagery following hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters, helping customers and public safety organizations assess damage and respond quickly. This role manages the full lifecycle of a disaster response. You'll monitor developing events, determine whether they meet activation criteria, coordinate aircraft and logistics, oversee data collection, and ensure imagery is delivered to customers and stakeholders as quickly as possible. We're looking for someone who thrives in fast-moving situations, enjoys solving complex problems, and can confidently make decisions with incomplete information. You might be tracking a rapidly evolving wildfire one day and coordinating a multi-state hurricane response the next. Success in this role requires strong judgment, clear communication, and the ability to bring together multiple teams to execute under tight timelines. Gray Sky isn't simply a reactive service. Our goal is to stay ahead of customer demand. The imagery we collect is often among the first visual assessments available to insurance carriers, emergency managers, government agencies, and first responders. That means identifying developing events early, positioning aircraft proactively, and delivering actionable data when it matters most.

Requirements

Strong geospatial aptitude, including experience working with GeoJSON, KML, shapefiles, GeoPackages, or similar formats.
Strong analytical and data management skills, with the ability to interpret information from multiple sources under time pressure.
Exceptional communication and coordination skills.
Working knowledge of Jira or similar project-tracking tools.
A genuine interest in severe weather, natural hazards, and disaster response.
Ability to work flexible, irregular, and after-hours schedules when events require.
Sound judgment and the ability to make fast, defensible decisions in dynamic situations.

Nice To Haves

Experience coordinating logistics involving aircraft, equipment, or personnel.
Familiarity with aerial survey, remote sensing, or aviation operations.
Experience building automation or using AI-assisted tools to improve operational workflows.
Experience with QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, the ESRI suite, Jira, and weather or hazard-monitoring tools.

Responsibilities

Monitor and Assess Events: Continuously monitor active weather and hazard conditions across the U.S. and globally using traditional media, social media, and authoritative sources such as NOAA, USGS, and the National Hurricane Center.
Evaluate developing events using the Gray Sky playbook and determine whether activation thresholds have been met.
Make timely, defensible go/no-go decisions and document the rationale behind them.
Coordinate the Response: Direct aircraft relocation and mobilize crews, sensors, and resources before and after qualifying events.
Coordinate shipping and ground logistics to support rapid-response operations.
Oversee aerial data collection efforts and refine areas of interest in real time based on event developments and stakeholder input.
Facilitate the processing and delivery of finished imagery products as quickly as possible.
Communicate Across Teams and Stakeholders: Serve as the central point of coordination across flight operations, logistics, processing, and delivery teams during active responses.
Manage Gray Sky communications, including activation updates and customer outreach.
Receive and route requests from customers, emergency management organizations, and public safety stakeholders.
Keep leadership and partners informed through clear, timely communication in a fast-moving environment.
Use Jira as the primary platform for coordination, status tracking, and task management.
Maintain documentation of events, decisions, and outcomes to support post-event review and continuous improvement.
Drive Automation and Innovation: Identify opportunities to improve monitoring, response, logistics, and reporting workflows.
Implement automation and AI-assisted tools that increase efficiency and reduce manual effort.
Continuously improve Gray Sky processes to help the team respond faster and more effectively to future events.