Airborne Sensor Operator

Dewberry is currently seeking an Airborne Sensor Operator in our Tampa, FL, office.

This is an excellent career opportunity for an individual to join a team of professionals while working in a multidisciplinary consulting and engineering firm. The firm succeeds through the individual and collaborative skills of its people therefore we offer opportunities for professional growth while working with and applying the latest technology. Typical responsibilities are to work on the GIS/IT and Remote Sensing related projects for state and federal clients across the US. 

Ideal candidate will work out of our Tampa, FL office. Consideration may be made for candidates living near one of our other GTS office locations in Denver, CO and Fairfax, VA.

Position requires entry level experience in geospatial and lidar technologies. Preferred experience in operating commercial airborne lidar sensors (Riegl, Leica, Optech) in fixed wing platforms. Candidate should have strong self-motivation with independent working mindset, is expected to operate airborne sensors in field operations aboard fixed wing aircraft. Strong communication skills with the pilot and operations staff are expected, must be able to perform work duties at various times and schedules when optimal flying conditions are present, including nights and weekends. This role may have office geospatial work duties during non-operational times. Training for operating these systems in the aircraft will be provided.  Additional responsibilities will include but not limited to:

• Collect airborne lidar and imagery data from fixed wing aircraft
• Understand project requirements and priorities
• Work directly with pilots to evaluate weather and environmental conditions during aerial data acquisition
• Collect, download, and ship acquired data from the field to office
• Ensure acquisition field logs and reporting are completed
• Troubleshoot sensor and software issues while airborne and on the ground
• Install sensors and equipment into aircraft with support
• Ensure safe operation of company equipment
• Coordinate with acquisition, initial processing, and calibration team
• Independent task and time management
• Flexibility and problem-solving skills and initiative
• On the job and continual training and collaboration
• Extensive travel required

Required Skills Experience

• Valid driver’s license
• Bachelor's degree in Geography, GIS, or related field. Or relevant industry experience
• Understanding of aviation, GIS, remote sensing, or GPS survey methods
• 1+ years of experience in the GIS/Remote Sensing Field
• Interest in field operations
• Ability to travel for up to 6 weeks at a time
• Ability to work and problem solve in remote environments independently of office teams
• Comfortable flying in small aircraft in various environments
• Proficiency in basic computer applications, especially MS Office (Word, Excel, and Access)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills 

Desired Skills & Experience

• Prior experience in sensor operation and airborne data collection
• Specific experience with Riegl and Teledyne Optech Sensors
• Experience in topo-bathymetric lidar
• Experience in airborne mission flight planning
• Proficiency in GIS software such as ESRI ArcPro and GlobalMapper
• Proficiency in viewing lidar datasets in software such as Microstation (Terrasolid), Geocue LP360, or ESRI Arcmap
• Experience in other airborne sensors (imagery, hyperspectral, radar\InSAR\IFSAR, gravimetric\magnetic)
• Experience in processing acquired lidar data in sensor vendor software (Riegl RiProcess, Optech LMS, Leica Cloudpro\HxMap,)
• Experience with processing aircraft trajectories using Applanix Pospac or Novatel Inertial Explorer

Physical Requirements

• Ability to fly airborne missions of 3-6 hours in duration, potentially multiple times per day/night with rest between.
• Work during any period of day, early morning, late evenings, and\or weekends, with adequate rest time between operations.
• Deployed for extended period of times across the US
• Not prone to motion sickness
• Individual ability to lift up to 50lbs
• Ability to climb aircraft ladders (up to 6’)
• Ability to operate in outdoor conditions in various seasons, and in aircraft with limited climate controls.

Must have a valid driver’s license, good driving record and ability to pass a driving record background check.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Dewberry we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for our employee’s. So if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the position description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may just be the right candidate for this or other opportunities.

*At this time, Dewberry will not sponsor a new applicant for work authorization.

*Dewberry is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

*Only recipients of an offer of employment from Dewberry, will be required to submit to a background screening which may include, but is not limited to, employment verification, educational and other credential verification, driving record check, criminal background check, and an investigative consumer report. These screenings will be conducted by Dewberry’s background vendor of choice and will be conducted in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local law.

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