Remote Travel: Approximately 15% for R&D events, technical demos, and collaboration sessions ... Background supporting DoD, Air Force, Space Force, mission command, battle management, C2, ISR ...
Quick apply
Remote Travel: Approximately 15% for R&D events, technical demos, and collaboration sessions ... Background supporting DoD, Air Force, Space Force, mission command, battle management, C2, ISR ...
Quick apply
Remote Travel: Approximately 15% for R&D events, technical demos, and collaboration sessions ... Background supporting DoD, Air Force, Space Force, mission command, battle management, C2, ISR ...
| Aspect | Remote Isr Pilot | Remote Drone Operator |
|---|---|---|
| Credentials | FAA Part 107 certification, relevant aviation licenses | FAA Part 107 certification, drone operation licenses |
| Work Environment | Military, government, or defense sectors; remote or field-based | Commercial, media, or surveillance sectors; remote or on-site |
| Employer & Industry | Defense agencies, government contractors | Media companies, security firms, surveyors |
The main difference between a Remote Isr Pilot and a Remote Drone Operator lies in their specific roles and industry focus. Remote Isr Pilots typically work in defense or intelligence sectors with specialized training and certifications, focusing on reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Remote Drone Operators often work in commercial or media industries, handling various drone tasks such as filming, surveying, or security. Both roles require FAA Part 107 certification, but their work environments and mission objectives differ significantly.

Full-time
Re-posted 2 days ago
Senior Technical Lead — R&D Mission Systems
Location: United States
Work Model: Remote
Travel: Approximately 15% for R&D events, technical demos, and collaboration sessions
Clearance: U.S. citizenship required. Active Secret clearance preferred; candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
Shape Mission-Focused R&D From Idea to Impact
Rackner is seeking a Senior Technical Lead — R&D Mission Systems to help shape, demonstrate, and advance mission-focused technical capabilities for government customers.
This is a high-visibility technical leadership role for someone who wants to stay close to the technology while having more influence over what gets built, why it matters, and how it reaches mission users.
You will work across customers, mission stakeholders, technical leadership, and R&D engineers to understand mission needs, gather requirements, guide technical direction, and help turn early ideas into usable software capabilities.
This is not a traditional sales role, and it is not a purely heads-down engineering role. The right person is technically credible, mission-aware, comfortable with ambiguity, and able to explain complex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
The work may involve mission command, battle management, AI/data workflows, analytics, automation, data pipelines, prototypes, software architecture, and technical demos.
What You'll Drive
What You'll Bring
Helpful Experience
Travel & Event Support
This role requires approximately 15% travel for R&D events, technical demos, collaboration sessions, and mission-focused engagements.
Travel is planned in advance whenever possible and may include customer-facing or internal engineering events.
About Rackner
Rackner is a software consultancy focused on building mission-critical systems for the U.S. government. Our teams work across cloud platforms, DevSecOps, AI/ML, distributed systems, and modern software engineering initiatives supporting federal agencies and national security missions.
Rackner engineers collaborate closely with technical leadership, program teams, and mission stakeholders to design, build, and improve software systems that address complex operational challenges.
Benefits & Perks
Rackner invests in its people, because when you grow, we all win.
Equal Opportunity
Rackner is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.
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It services
11 - 50 Employees
Silver Spring, MD, US
2015