Drone Manager

Requisition ID: 178399

Job Level: Senior Level

Home District/Group: South Central District

Department: Surveying

Market: Transportation

Employment Type: Full Time

District Overview

Kiewit's South Central District is one of Kiewit's leading infrastructure districts specializing in highway and heavy civil construction including grading, excavating, trenching, bridge construction, concrete, asphalt paving, and more. Although most of our work is regionally based in the south-central region of the United States, we also pursue various projects stretching across the United States. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about infrastructure and committed to the construction industry as opposed to design.

Location

Kiewit's South Central District has a home office in Westlake, Texas but leads work all over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. However, one of the many things that makes Kiewit's culture unique is that we go where the work is, which exposes your career to abundant opportunities. We relocate our teams based on the work that is available, combined with the development plans, skill sets and career goals of each team member. This means your Kiewit adventure is custom-designed to meet our shared needs.

Responsibilities

Drone Operations & Strategy
• Lead UAV operations across multiple projects, including flight planning, data capture, and post-processing.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for drone use in construction environments.
• Ensure compliance with FAA regulations and internal safety protocols.
Data Integration & Analysis
• Collaborate with survey and engineering teams to integrate drone data into design models and construction workflows.
• Review and validate aerial data for accuracy and usability in project planning and execution.
• Support machine control setup using drone-generated topography.
Team Leadership & Training
• Train project teams and survey crews on UAV technology, flight operations, and data interpretation.
• Manage drone equipment inventory, maintenance, and procurement.
• Mentor junior staff and promote best practices in aerial surveying.
Project Support
• Assist with site documentation, progress tracking, and as-built verification using drone imagery.
• Coordinate with designers to ensure aerial data aligns with project requirements.
• Support pay-quantity verification and layout using drone-derived models.

Qualifications
• 5+ years of experience in UAV operations, construction surveying, or geospatial analysis.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate required.
• Proficiency in drone mapping software (e.g., Pix4D, DroneDeploy, Trimble Business Center).
• Strong understanding of GPS, GIS, and photogrammetry principles.
• Experience with heavy civil construction projects preferred.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in field and office settings.
• Strong commitment to safety and quality.

Other Requirements:

• Regular, reliable attendance
• Work productively and meet deadlines timely
• Communicate and interact effectively and professionally with supervisors, employees, and others individually or in a team environment.
• Perform work safely and effectively. Understand and follow oral and written instructions, including warning signs, equipment use, and other policies.
• Work during normal operating hours to organize and complete work within given deadlines. Work overtime and weekends as required.
• May work at various different locations and conditions may vary.

We offer our fulltime staff employees a comprehensive benefits package that's among the best in our industry, including top-tier medical, dental and vision plans covering eligible employees and dependents, voluntary wellness and employee assistance programs, life insurance, disability, retirement plans with matching, and generous paid time off.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

There's no limit to what you'll do at Kiewit. Whether you're building or supporting projects that provide communities with dependable energy, safe transportation, clean water, or access to health care, the work you do will positively impact people's lives for generations to come.

Here you'll have endless opportunities to expand your expertise through on-the-job experience and internal and external training and development opportunities.

We offer our full-time staff employees a comprehensive benefits package that's among the best in our industry. From top-tier health care programs to employee assistance programs and retirement planning, we aim to provide you with the tools you need to be successful in the areas of life that matter most to you.

Kiewit is an equal-opportunity employer, and we believe a diverse workforce is vital to the success of our business. We continue our efforts to attract, develop and retain employees from all backgrounds who are passionate about our industry.

We are committed to veteran and military hiring and will consider relevant military experience as equivalent to qualification requirements.

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