Pollinator Drone Pilot
Mission planning and supervised operation of the Pollinator Drone Swarm for pollination, micro-sampling, and canopy inspection across cultivation and containment zones.
Role Summary
The Pollinator Drone Pilot plans and supervises missions for the Pollinator Drone Swarm — autonomous micro-drones that pollinate flowering specimens, collect VOC and tissue micro-samples, and inspect the canopy where human entry is restricted. The pilot builds flight and pollination missions, supervises autonomous swarm execution, and intervenes on faults — all while keeping the swarm inside the containment rules that prevent it from becoming a vector for spores, pollen, or toxin between graded zones. Because drones cross into bays humans cannot safely enter, this role is a key set of eyes and hands inside GCL-3 space and is accountable for swarm sanitation and containment discipline.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and execute pollination, micro-sampling, and inspection missions for the Pollinator Drone Swarm aligned to the cultivation cycle and flowering schedules.
- Supervise autonomous swarm flights, monitor telemetry on the live dashboard, and intervene/abort on collision, drift, or contamination risk.
- Operate within containment rules: enforce inter-zone flight bans, decontaminate drones between graded zones, and prevent cross-zone pollen/spore transfer per SOP — GCL-4 Containment.
- Route drone-captured imagery and VOC samples into the Spectral Canopy Array and PhytoSense Mesh pipelines for analysis.
- Track pollination coverage and success against Canopy Vitality targets and report zones needing manual follow-up.
- Inspect GCL-3 specimens by drone and escalate elevated Aggression Index indicators to Containment per the Alarm Matrix.
- Perform pre-flight checks, battery/charging management, and field maintenance; log every airframe fault and grounding.
- Support breach response by deploying drones for remote reconnaissance under SOP — Emergency Breach.
Required Qualifications
- High-school diploma plus technical certificate, or equivalent; 2+ years operating UAS/drones or robotic systems.
- Demonstrated mission planning, manual flight recovery, and fault triage under supervision of autonomous systems.
- Steady hand-eye coordination and spatial reasoning for confined-space flight.
- Current Pollinator Drone Operation certification (or ≤45d) and able to obtain GCL-3 clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
- Swarm/multi-agent operations or FPV experience.
- Horticulture or pollination biology familiarity.
- PhytoSense sensor and imaging-pipeline exposure.
Certifications Required
Certification curricula are delivered through the Verdant Academy; currency is tracked on the HR Training Matrix.
| Certification | Status at Hire | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Pollinator Drone Operation | Required (or ≤45d) | 24 months |
| PhytoSense Operation | Required ≤90d | 24 months |
| Toxin Handling Tier 1 | Required ≤90d | Annual |
| Emergency Response — Basic | Required ≤90d | Annual |
Physical & Hazard Requirements
- Extended visual/console work; sustained attention during autonomous supervision.
- Escorted entry to GCL-2/3 bays for launch, recovery, and decontamination; lift up to 15 kg of equipment.
- Wear PPE per bay grade and pass GCL-2 medical fitness.
Compensation Band
Career Path
Pollinator Drone Pilot (T2) advances to Senior Drone Pilot (T3) and Lead Cultivar Technician (T4), or laterals into the PhytoSense Mesh Technician (VC-HR-J060) engineering-support track and the Field Recovery Specialist (VC-HR-J021) operations/security track.