Director, Field Operations

remote
United States, United States, United States .
full-time . January 26, 2026

Description

About Draganfly

Draganfly Inc. (the “Company”) has been a recognized technology leader within the commercial UAV space for over two decades. We helped establish the commercial market & adoption of multi-rotor helicopters for public safety, agriculture, aerial imaging, & more. As a leader who helped shape the industry, Draganfly’s focus is on the sale of drone products and services, contract engineering & custom integration product development, and health monitoring products and services.

About The Role

Draganfly is seeking a highly skilled and operationally disciplined Director, Field Operations to lead the execution backbone of our customer-facing programs. This role oversees all field teams delivering demos, deployments, training, and mission support across military, public safety, and commercial sectors.

You will transform strategic direction into precise, repeatable, high‑tempo operational execution. The ideal candidate brings deep UAS expertise, thrives in fast-paced and mission-driven environments, and excels at building scalable systems that maintain a strong team culture as operations grow. Success in this role is measured by field readiness, consistent delivery quality, customer satisfaction, and the ability to sustain a high‑performance operational culture across multiple verticals.

Key Responsibilities

Field Team Leadership & Execution

Lead, mentor, and develop Field Team Managers across Military, Law Enforcement, and Commercial verticals.
Own operational readiness, including skills proficiency, certifications, and platform currency across all field teams.
Establish high‑tempo deployment standards reflecting military‑grade discipline and repeatability.
Ensure flawless execution of demos, pilots, training missions, onsite support, and program deployments.
Oversee mission‑specific SOPs for high‑risk and high‑volume programs.
Act as the escalation point for field operational issues, customer concerns, and blockers.
Maintain consistent delivery quality across verticals and regions.
Build deployment schedules, resource plans, and readiness rosters in collaboration with PMO.
Coordinate with PMO, Sales, Product Experience, and Service Ops to align bandwidth and ensure predictable operations.
Manage inventory of field equipment and mission‑support kits for rapid deployment.

Field Intelligence & Product Feedback Loop

Oversee structured capture of insights from field missions, training events, and demos.
Deliver actionable feedback to the Product Experience team to support roadmap decisions and reliability improvements.
Ensure field personnel provide standardized reporting on performance, customer pain points, and environmental challenges.
Represent Field Operations in cross‑functional meetings with Product, Engineering, Strategy, and Leadership.

Operational Excellence & Process Development

Define and enforce operational standards, flight procedures, risk controls, and best practices.
Drive continuous improvement across training, demos, readiness, and deployment processes.
Ensure compliance with FAA, Transport Canada, and all relevant industry regulations in coordination with Draganfly Flight Ops.
Collaborate with the Director of Service Ops to ensure seamless handoff between field deployments and ongoing service operations.
Support Sales by aligning field resources to strategic opportunities and high‑priority prospects.
Partner with Marketing on major events, product showcases, and field‑focused content opportunities.

Preferred Qualifications

Military aviation or UAS background (Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, SOCOM, or defense contractor experience).
Experience with ISR systems, tactical UAS, public safety operations, or enterprise drone programs.
Familiarity with FAA Part 107, Transport Canada RPAS, BVLOS waivers, public safety COAs, or airworthiness frameworks.
Experience in a hardware/software startup or dual‑use defense technology environment.

Who are you really?

You are a mission‑driven leader who thrives in fast‑paced, high‑stakes operational environments.
You bring a calm, decisive presence to the field and lead with clarity, confidence, and integrity.
You’re at your best when turning strategy into disciplined execution, and you take pride in building teams that perform at an elite level.
You understand the realities of UAS operations, field deployments, and customer‑facing mission requirements — and you’re comfortable making the tough calls that keep programs on track.
You are process‑minded and can scale operations without losing the culture, cohesion, or standards that make field teams effective.
You build trust quickly — with customers, cross‑functional partners, and frontline operators alike.
You communicate with transparency, expect accountability, and bring a continuous‑improvement mindset to every mission, deployment, and workflow.
You excel at balancing structure with adaptability, ensuring your teams remain prepared, agile, and ready for any operational scenario.
You are passionate about mentoring others and creating an environment where high performers can grow, excel, and deliver exceptional results.

Qualifications:

10+ years of operational leadership experience in UAS, aviation, defense, or high‑complexity field operations.
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional, customer-facing teams in high‑demand environments.
Deep understanding of UAS flight operations, mission planning, regulations, and field risk management.
Demonstrated success building scalable systems, processes, and multi‑vertical deployment frameworks.
Strong communication, leadership, and crisis‑management skills.
Ability to foster a collaborative, high‑performance culture across diverse field teams.
Ability to travel 20–30%, depending on program needs.

Compensation package:

Competitive salary: USD110,000 to USD135,000
Comprehensive medical and dental benefits, including a Health Spending Account.
Generous time-off program, including vacation, wellness days, and the week off between Christmas and New Year’s.

Why Join Us

At Draganfly Innovations, you’ll join a collaborative team that values innovation, curiosity, and continuous improvement. We’re in an exciting growth phase, scaling our technologies, product lines, and teams as we continue to shape the future of UAV innovation. Joining us now means becoming part of a company with deep roots in the industry - and bold ambitions for what comes next.

You’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact, work on diverse and cutting‑edge projects, and grow your skills alongside passionate experts. We offer competitive compensation, strong benefits, and a supportive environment where your contributions truly matter. Here, you won’t just join a company - you’ll help build what comes next.

As part of our hiring process, all candidates must successfully complete reference checks and a criminal background check.

Compensation

$11,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year

Know someone who would be a perfect fit? Let them know!