Drone Pilot (AU)

Work with cutting edge technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of world’s most challenging technical problems in the Electronic Warfare, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, RF sensing, Sensor Fusion and distributed systems. Working with high profile customers across militaries, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure, law enforcement and many others.

With an approximately $1bn market capitalisation and having raised approximately $250m in 2024 alone, DroneShield is undergoing hypergrowth stage, fuelled by rapidly increasing use of drones for nefarious applications, from battlefield, to terrorism, to contraband delivery and commercial espionage.

 This role is in the DroneShield Sydney headquarters in Pyrmont, Sydney. There are approximately 290 staff based in the 4,000sqm facility today, scheduled to grow to approximately 350 staff by end of 2026. Overseas on the ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Denmark, Germany and Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70 countries globally.

About the role

DroneShield (ASX:DRO) is seeking a skilled and motivated Drone Pilot to support our engineering, testing, and demonstration activities. This Sydney-based position reports to the Chief Remote Pilot and plays a key role in operating drones across a variety of environments and use cases, from product evaluation and data capture to live demonstrations and trials.

 Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations 

• Conduct drone operations including flight planning, deployment, and reporting in accordance with CASA regulations, and ReOC requirements

• Travel regularly across NSW to support field testing, product evaluations, and demonstrations

• Maintain and operate a diverse fleet of drones at DroneShield’s testing facility and Sydney CBD office

• Manage and maintain drone inventory, including tagging, inspection, maintenance, and readiness

• Contribute to our internal drone intelligence database, including scanning for new platforms and capabilities

• Provide support to broader project delivery efforts across engineering and customer programs

• Ensure proper maintenance and configuration of flight control software and telemetry systems

• Be proactive in identifying and solving technical or operational issues—even outside of your immediate scope

• Undertake additional training and certifications as required to support evolving business needs

Qualifications, Experience and Skills 

Essential:

• Current RePL (Remote Pilot Licence) and AROC (Aeronautical Radio Operator Certificate)
  OR Hands-on experience with building, maintaining, and flying FPV and model aircraft (fixed-wing, multirotor, helicopter, glider)

• Demonstrated experience in operating drones in complex environments (e.g. restricted airspace, controlled aerodromes, EVLOS, BVLOS, swarm ops)

• Proficiency with flight control software such as Betaflight, INAV, and ArduPilot

• Familiarity with drone hardware systems, telemetry, and radio communication equipment

• Strong field troubleshooting and problem-solving skills

• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative team environment

• Willingness to travel frequently for data capture and testing exercises

• Availability to work onsite 1–2 days per week in Sydney CBD

Desirable:

• Experience in drone racing, system tuning, and competitive configurations

• Exposure to PX4 autopilot software or similar

• Strong background in electronics or mechanical systems

• Education in Engineering or a related technical discipline (or equivalent hands-on experience)

• Comfortable working in Linux environments, including command line tools, system monitoring, and networking

Note for recruitment agencies: we do not accept floated candidates from external recruiters unless they were instructed to do so.