Drone Operations Manager (AU)

About the role

The Drone Operations Manager is accountable for the safe, efficient, and compliant delivery of DroneShield’s operational drone activities.

You will lead Drone Pilots, Maintenance, and Procurement/Logistics for all drone equipment, while working in close partnership with the Chief Remote Pilot (CRP) to ensure DroneShield maintains full regulatory compliance under CASA.
The CRP retains regulatory independence, but reports to this role for headcount and team alignment.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations 

Operational Leadership

• Own day‑to‑day planning, scheduling, and deployment of Drone Pilots across missions, demonstrations, field tasks, and customer activities.
• Maintain operational readiness: rosters, pilot currency, equipment allocation, pre‑task coordination, and on‑time execution.
• Implement safety practices and SOPs; ensure effective briefings, site risk controls, and post‑task debriefs.

People & Team Management

• Lead and develop pilots and operations support staff (coaching, performance management, training pathways).
• Line‑manage the CRP for HR and team purposes; collaborate with the CRP on pilot competency, operational guardrails, and regulatory standards.

Compliance & Governance (in partnership with the CRP)

• Ensure operations meet the standards and requirements defined by the CRP and align with DroneShield’s ReOC, operations manuals, and SOPs.
• Maintain accurate operational records (mission documentation, asset usage, pilot currency), supporting CRP‑led audits and regulatory reviews.
• Drive continuous improvement of operational processes, readiness metrics, and incident‑prevention practices.

Maintenance, Procurement & Logistics

• Oversee drone fleet readiness, Repair & Maintenance (R&M) schedules, and serviceability status with clear go/no‑go criteria.
• Work with Procurement to manage spares, consumables, and replacement cycles; maintain accurate asset registers.
• Ensure tool control, configuration control, and proper storage/transport of platforms, payloads, and batteries.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Coordinate with Sales/BD for demos, with Programs for delivery milestones, and with Engineering for configuration and documentation.
• Communicate operational status and risks clearly to leadership and resolve blockers quickly.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills 

Essential

• Proven leadership in UAS, aviation, defence, or high‑compliance field operations.
• Strong scheduling, logistics, and live‑ops coordination skills across concurrent tasks.
• Solid understanding of CASA RePL/ReOC (including CASR Part 101, subpart F), aviation SOPs, and practical risk management.
• Excellent communication; calm under pressure; decisive and hands‑on.

Desirable

• CASA RePL (or ability to obtain).
• Experience working with or alongside a CRP in a regulated environment.
• Experience overseeing maintenance or technical support teams.
• Defence, government, or critical‑infrastructure exposure.

Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.