Description
About The Role:Draganfly Innovations Inc. is seeking a Chief Pilot to serve as the senior operational authority for U.S. flight operations. Reporting to the Manager, Flight Operations, this role oversees FAA compliance, pilot governance, flight-release authorization, standardization, and operational safety across testing, demonstrations, customer engagements, and field operations.
The Chief Pilot has functional authority over Company pilots and instructors during flight operations, including stop-work authority to delay, modify, or suspend any unsafe or non-compliant flight. This role ensures regulatory requirements and internal policies are applied consistently across commercial, defense, and public safety programs.
You will work closely with Flight Operations, Engineering, Product, Training, and Regulatory teams to support flight testing, readiness, deployments, and approved mission execution.
This role is NOT a leader of pilot teams, but IS the developer and enforcer of flight operations standards within the US
Key Responsibilities: Regulatory Compliance & Operational Authorization
- Own FAA compliance for U.S. flight operations, including Part 107, waivers, exemptions, COAs, and future Part 108 requirements
- Manage flight-release governance to ensure operations meet applicable authorizations and regulatory requirements
- Act as the operational point of contact for FAA-facing coordination with the Regulatory team
Pilot Governance & Standardization
- Enforce pilot standardization across locations and flight teams, including procedures, crew coordination, and operational performance
- Oversee pilot proficiency checks and standardization evaluations with the Training Standards & Development Lead
- Maintain consistent pilot standards for domestic locations and traveling flight teams
Flight Safety & Risk Management
- Lead flight risk management within the SMS, including hazards, risk assessments, mitigations, and go/no-go decisions
- Lead incident and accident response, including safety actions, reporting, and corrective-action input
- Exercise stop-work authority to delay, modify, or stop unsafe or non-compliant flight operations
Product & Cross-Functional Support
- Provide operational input into product testing and readiness from the operator's perspective
- Partner with Training Standards to align approved operating standards with training and qualification programs
- Approve operational content in controlled publications prepared by the Technical Writer & Publications Specialist
Who are you really?- You are a safety-first aviation professional who takes pride in doing things the right way, even when operations move quickly.
- You stay calm under pressure, make sound decisions, and know when to pause, adjust, or stop an operation to keep people and missions safe.
- You bring strong flight operations knowledge and understand how pilot standards, regulatory compliance, and real-world execution come together.
- You are organized, detail-oriented, and committed to building clear, consistent processes that teams can trust.
- You enjoy working across teams and can turn operational needs into practical guidance for Flight Operations, Product, Engineering, Training, and Regulatory partners.
- You communicate clearly, mentor others with confidence, and can influence standards without relying on direct people-management authority.
- You are proactive, accountable, and always looking for ways to improve safety, readiness, and operational performance.
Qualifications:- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
- 7+ years of UAS flight operations experience, including a senior standardization, chief-pilot, or operations-governance role
- Demonstrated experience operating under FAA waivers, exemptions, or COAs, and interpreting their operational limitations
- Working command of Part 107, 108, SMS principles, flight risk management, and crew resource management (CRM)
- Proven track record building and enforcing pilot standardization, currency, and flight-release processes
- Equivalent military UAS, public-safety aviation, commercial UAS, or flight-test experience may substitute for a four-year degree
- Ability to travel approximately 25-40% to support domestic operating locations, demonstrations, and traveling flight teams
Nice to Have
- Experience preparing or supporting BVLOS or expanded-operations authorizations
- Manned-aircraft commercial or ATP certificate
- Military UAS, SOCOM, or defense-contractor flight-operations background
- Experience supporting flight test at a UAS manufacturer or OEM
- Familiarity with multi-platform, multi-site operations at scale
Compensation Package - Competitive salary: $80,000 - 100,000 USD
- Health Coverage Reimbursement: We reimburse the cost of your existing or preferred healthcare plan (amount varies depending on family size).
- 401(k) program with employer matching
- Generous time-off program, including vacation, wellness days, and the week off between Christmas and New Year's.
- Professional development support, including assistance in obtaining or maintaining role-relevant certifications (e.g., FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, where applicable)
Compensation
$80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
