Field Operations Specialist

About the role

You will own the end-to-end execution of field deployments for autonomous orchestration systems, serving as the primary operator and point of contact during on-site activities. You are responsible for assembling, wiring, and testing unmanned aerial, surface, and ground systems alongside their payloads and support equipment to ensure mission readiness. In this role, you will supervise junior field technicians, coordinating their efforts to maintain safety, quality, and schedule adherence during complex exercises. You will engage directly with customers, providing technical guidance and representing NODA with professionalism in high-stakes environments. A core part of your ownership involves planning logistics for travel, shipping, and equipment readiness to enable seamless operations across diverse locations. You will capture and synthesize customer feedback to drive continuous improvement in deployment processes and operational workflows. Additionally, you will draft and maintain critical event-specific documentation, including assembly procedures, deployment logs, checklists, and after-action reports. Finally, you will verify that all platforms are flight-ready and compliant before transport and deployment, ensuring alignment with engineering and mission team objectives.

Key facts

What you'll do

Engage with customers onsite, providing technical guidance and representing NODA professionally in dynamic field environments.

Assist in planning logistics for travel, shipping, and equipment readiness to support mission-critical deployment timelines.

Build, wire, and test UAS, robotic platforms, payloads, and support equipment to validate functionality and performance standards.

Track, repair, and maintain lab equipment, spare parts, and test assets to ensure operational availability and reliability.

Lead setup and teardown procedures and conduct technical troubleshooting during multi-domain field exercises and demonstrations.

Conduct inspections to ensure accuracy, durability, and repeatability of assemblies under varying operational conditions.

Maintain a safe, organized, and well-documented lab and field environment that adheres to safety and quality protocols.

Draft and maintain event-specific documentation, including assembly procedures, deployment logs, checklists, and after-action reports (AARs).

Verify platforms are flight-ready before transport and deployment through systematic checks and validations.

Coordinate with engineering and mission teams to ensure event readiness and alignment on objectives, timelines, and requirements.

Document issues and fixes in real time to capture lessons learned and improve future deployment strategies.

Oversee junior field staff during operations, providing guidance and ensuring smooth team coordination and task execution.

Adapt quickly to changing priorities, environmental conditions, and mission requirements while maintaining attention to detail.

Support the collection and analysis of customer feedback to refine deployment processes and enhance system performance in the field.

Requirements

U.S. Citizen (required).

High school diploma or equivalent; technical certificate, associate degree, or equivalent military/industry experience preferred.

2+ years of hands-on technical experience in assembly, lab, or field environments.

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and must have RPIC & EP experience.

Strong organizational skills and experience coordinating logistics or operations in complex environments.

Comfortable working in both lab and outdoor field environments across varied weather conditions.

Ability to lift 60 lbs and work in dynamic field conditions that may include uneven terrain and extended hours.

Willingness to travel up to 50%, including evenings and weekends during mission-critical events and demonstrations.

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance as required for customer engagements.

Proficiency with basic test and measurement equipment and tools used in unmanned systems integration.

Commitment to maintaining accurate records, logs, and documentation to ensure traceability and repeatability.

Understanding of safety procedures and risk mitigation practices in field and lab settings.

Ability to follow detailed instructions and adapt procedures to meet evolving mission requirements.

Nice to have

IPC soldering or electronics certification.

Experience leading small teams in technical or field environments.

Familiarity with lab management or inventory software.

Comfort with scripting, dashboards, or log retrieval tools such as Python, CLI, and spreadsheets.

Familiarity with project management or collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, or Notion.

Self-directed and team-oriented mindset with a willingness to take initiative and support peers.

Practical notes

Hours: Full-time schedule with flexibility for evenings and weekends during mission-critical events.

Travel: Up to 50% travel required, including nights and weekends, with potential for last-minute deployments.

Visa: U.S. citizenship required; ability to obtain a security clearance is mandatory for access to customer sites and sensitive information.

This role operates in a hybrid on-site model with defined expectations for presence during critical testing and deployment windows.