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Drone Operator Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

... drone delivery, self-driving cars, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS ... Working closely with the CEO and COO, you will build the systems, processes, and financial ...

Extensive Linux operating system experience, with focus on software integration, package building ... Drone piloting experience, particularly possessing an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate. * Experience ...

... drone applications, critical infrastructure protection, and border surveillance. - Business Unit ... Support DRS equipment in operating environments at depots, training sites, and customer field ...

... turn drone detections into coordinated responses. You'll partner with engineering, design, and field teams to ship the tools operators use to neutralize threats - kinetic and non-kinetic - at ...

... turn drone detections into coordinated responses. You'll partner with engineering, design, and field teams to ship the tools operators use to neutralize threats -- kinetic and non-kinetic -- at ...

... drone delivery, self-driving cars, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS ... Proven experience, including lab and field troubleshooting, deploying or operating complete systems ...

... drone delivery, self-driving cars, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS ... Proven experience, including lab and field troubleshooting, deploying or operating complete systems ...

... drone delivery, self-driving cars, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS ... Proven experience, including lab and field troubleshooting, deploying or operating complete systems ...

... drone applications, critical infrastructure protection, and border surveillance. - Business Unit ... Support DRS equipment in operating environments at depots, training sites, and customer field ...

... performance drone systems to government, defense, and commercial customers. The Director of ... Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs). * Utilize operational metrics and data ...

... performance drone systems to government, defense, and commercial customers. The Director of ... Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs). * Utilize operational metrics and data ...

Showing results 41-60

Drone Operator information

See Reston, VA salary details

$11

$23

$38

How much do drone operator jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for drone operator in Reston, VA is $23.97, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.75 and $22.74 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by drone operators during field operations?

Drone operators often face challenges such as adapting to changing weather conditions, maintaining compliance with local aviation regulations, and troubleshooting technical issues with equipment in the field. Additionally, they may need to coordinate closely with team members or clients on-site to ensure safety and meet project objectives. Effective communication and thorough pre-flight planning are essential to mitigate risks and complete missions successfully.

What is a drone operator?

Drone operators are professionals who pilot unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, for various purposes such as aerial photography, surveying, inspections, mapping, agriculture, and delivery services. They are responsible for planning flights, operating the drone safely, capturing data or images, and maintaining equipment. Drone operators must comply with aviation regulations, ensure safe flight paths, and often analyze the data collected during their missions. The job requires technical skills, attention to detail, and sometimes certification depending on the country and type of operation.

What is the difference between Drone Operator vs Drone Pilot?

AspectDrone OperatorDrone Pilot
CertificationsFAA Part 107 certificationFAA Part 107 certification
Work EnvironmentIndoor/outdoor, various industriesOutdoor, primarily flight operations
Employer & IndustryMedia, agriculture, construction, inspectionFilmmaking, surveying, inspection
Common Search IntentOperational roles, job descriptionsFlying, piloting, flight skills

While both Drone Operators and Drone Pilots require FAA Part 107 certification and often work in similar environments, Drone Operators typically focus on managing drone operations, data collection, and payload handling. Drone Pilots primarily focus on flying the drone, ensuring safe and precise flight. The roles often overlap, but Drone Operators may handle more of the operational planning and data processing, whereas Drone Pilots concentrate on the actual flight execution.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a drone operator?

To thrive as a Drone Operator, you need strong spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and a solid understanding of aviation regulations, often supported by a Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107) from the FAA. Familiarity with drone flight control software, GPS systems, and camera operation is crucial for effective and safe operations. Attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and effective communication set standout operators apart, especially when working in teams or with clients. These skills ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality drone operations across diverse industries such as surveying, videography, and inspection.
What are popular job titles related to Drone Operator jobs in Reston, VA? For Drone Operator jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Drone Operator jobs in Reston, VA look for? The top searched job categories for Drone Operator jobs in Reston, VA are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Drone Operator jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Drone Operator job openings:
Infographic showing various Drone Operator job openings in Reston, VA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 49% Full Time, 49% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $49,864 per year, or $24 per hour.

Full-time

Posted 6 days ago


Job description

Join TrustPoint and Build the World's First Commercial GPS System in Space

GPS is a ubiquitous global utility in modern society; knowing one's location is critical for government, commercial, and personal applications. Still, today's solutions for determining location are inaccurate, slow, unencrypted, and susceptible to jamming and spoofing. These shortcomings make GPS insufficient for tomorrow's safety-critical and high-precision applications, a problem TrustPoint intends to solve.

TrustPoint is developing a fully commercial next-generation GPS service to provide significant performance, security and reliability improvements for GPS users. This includes better accuracy, quicker Time to First Fix, and anti-spoof and anti-jam capabilities. The improvements will support US Government position and timing service resiliency as well as enable next-generation commercial applications like drone delivery, self-driving cars, urban air mobility, and augmented reality. The $260B annual GNSS Hardware, Software and Data Services market is ripe for disruption and TrustPoint intends to lead that revolution with our commercial infrastructure and services.

The Position

With locations outside Washington, DC, and in Silicon Valley, TrustPoint is seeking a full-time Controller to lead accounting and financial operations for our growing commercial and government business. Working closely with the CEO and COO, you will build the systems, processes, and financial discipline required to guide business decisions, maintain audit-ready operations, and support TrustPoint's continued growth.

We'll Expect You To...

Accounting and Financial Operations

  • General ledger ownership: chart of accounts, month-end and year-end close, account reconciliations, and the accuracy of the financial statements.
  • Accounts payable and receivable, including the vendor and billing relationships behind them.
  • Cash management and short-term forecasting.
  • Expense and corporate card policy administration (currently run through the COO), including Expensify workflow, approval routing, and reconciliation.

Procurement Management

  • Manage end-to-end procurement and purchase order systems, ensuring compliance with competitive bidding policies, documentation standards, and approval thresholds.
  • Align procurement workflows with government acquisition regulations and cost management best practices.

Contracts Financial Management

  • Oversee financial performance of active contracts, including budget-to-actual tracking and profitability analysis.
  • Collaborate with USG Project Manager to ensure accurate milestone billing, revenue recognition, and timely contract closeouts.
  • Monitor contract-specific funding, burn rates, and potential overruns to provide proactive financial guidance.

Government Cost Accounting and Compliance

  • Timekeeping and labor cost allocation discipline appropriate to government contracts, including indirect rate structure (fringe, overhead, G&A) as the company's contract mix requires it.
  • Audit-ready books: the documentation trail that supports both internal decision-making and external audit or a future DCAA-adjacent review.
  • Coordination with the COO on contract-level cost reporting, invoicing, and deliverable-linked billing.

Financial Planning and Reporting

  • Lead financial modeling and margin analysis for product and service pricing to ensure profitability across distinct commercial and government revenue streams.
  • Budgeting and forecasting, and the variance analysis that turns numbers into decisions for the CEO and COO.
  • Board- and leadership-ready financial reporting: monthly close packages, cash runway, and burn rate.
  • Financial modeling support for pricing, hiring, and contract bid decisions.

Internal Controls

  • Design and maintain internal controls appropriate to a scaling, audited, government-facing company: segregation of duties, approval thresholds, and documentation standards.
  • Systems selection and administration for accounting, payroll, and expense management as the company outgrows its current tools.

You'll Need to Have...

  • CPA or equivalent
  • Controller or senior accounting management experience, ideally as the person who built the function in a small or scaling company rather than a specialist inside a mature one.
  • Working knowledge of government contract cost accounting: FAR Part 31 cost principles, indirect rate structures, timekeeping requirements, and DCAA expectations, even if you have not yet operated under a full DCAA audit.
  • Demonstrated ownership of controls and financial systems selection, not just bookkeeping.
  • Systems thinking: you build the chart of accounts and controls for the company the business is becoming, not just the transaction volume it has today.

We'd Like to See...

  • Experience in aerospace, defense, or another regulated government contracting environment.
  • Familiarity with ITAR/EAR-related financial controls.

Cultural Fit

  • Thrive in a start-up environment
  • Effective communication style that instills a culture of optimism and positivity
  • Sense of humor and ability to proactively problem solve.
  • Encourages colleagues to think and plan strategically while executing well tactically.
  • Works well with all company levels and disciplines (i.e. Legal, HR, etc.).
  • Willing to "roll up sleeves" in a new venture, working closely with colleagues.

Compensation and Benefits

The selected candidate will be competitively compensated with salary, equity (stock options), and standard benefits. The salary range for this role is $163,000 to $212,000.

TrustPoint, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Employment Type: FULL_TIME