Remote Aviation Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Full-time contract role supporting the FAA's UAS Support Center, the team behind web contact form at https://uas-support.faa.gov, and 844-FLY-MY-UA. Inquiries come from inside the FAA across multiple lines of business, from drone operators and public safety agencies, and from media, industry, and everyday fliers trying to figure out what the rules allow.

If you already hold an active Public Trust investigation and current FAA work authorization, say so up front. Those candidates get reviewed first and can typically start weeks ahead of the rest of the field.

The UAS Support Center is the FAA's front door for anything drone-related, internally and externally. A Part 107 pilot wants to know if a waiver covers their planned operation. Another FAA office needs a regulatory read before they respond to a stakeholder. A sheriff's office needs help getting a COA moving. A local TV station wants to fly over a fire. Somebody saw a drone near the approach end of a runway and doesn't know who to call.

You'll be the person who works that inquiry. You'll know the rule, or know where to find the answer when the rule by itself doesn't settle it, and you'll write it back in plain English. Most of the day is research and writing. There are no canned responses here. Every answer is individually tailored to the specific question in front of you.

In a typical week:

• Work inquiries coming into the web contact form, researching each one and writing a response tailored to the facts
• Support internal FAA customers across lines of business with regulatory questions and coordinated responses
• Answer inbound calls to the UAS Support Center line and follow up with outbound calls when an email needs a conversation
• Triage and route questions across Part 107 waivers, airspace authorizations (LAANC and FAADroneZone), drone registration, remote pilot certification, and recurrent training
• Walk public safety agencies, federal departments, and private operators through Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COAs) and Section 44807 exemption requirements
• Handle questions on Part 91 public aircraft operations, state and local drone regulations, stadium TFRs, NOTAM requirements, and drone sighting reports
• Write up decisions, escalations, and recurring question patterns so team leads can roll them into policy and guidance updates
• Flag trends from the inbox and phone queue that point to regulatory gaps or places where public guidance is falling short
• Support working groups with the technical write-ups, SOP updates, and FAQ revisions that come out of what callers are asking

You'll work from the FAA Safety Management System, 14 CFR Part 107 and Part 91, and current UAS technology. A lot of the inquiries don't have a clean yes or no, and you won't be reaching for a script. You'll need to be comfortable with that.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field plus 5 years of direct aviation experience in flight operations. Degree can be waived with 10+ years of relevant experience
• Working knowledge of UAS systems, capabilities, and current technologies
• Comfortable on the phones and in a busy inbox with a mixed audience: internal FAA stakeholders, recreational fliers, commercial operators, government agencies, and media
• Clear written communication. Your emails go out under the FAA's name

• Active Public Trust investigation
• Current authorization to work for the FAA
• UAS regulatory experience
• Commercial pilot certificate, ATP, or Aircraft Dispatcher certificate
• Prior FAA AVS, AFS, or UAS Integration Office experience
• Prior call-center, help-desk, or constituent-services experience in a regulated environment

Fully remote, full-time. No relocation, no commute.

What you tell a caller or write back to an inquiry matters. An unclear answer keeps a legitimate operator grounded, or worse, sends them up in a way that creates a real safety problem.

If you already hold a current Public Trust and FAA authorization, onboarding typically runs in weeks rather than the typical month or more associated with a new background investigation.