Field Operations Lead

Location: Austin TX (Hybrid on-site with up to 50% travel including deployments to forward locations overseas)

Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizen; active Secret or higher clearance strongly preferred with the ability to obtain/maintain a security clearance required

NODA is a veteran-owned venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air sea land and space with vital applications in the defense intelligence and commercial sectors.

Our Field Operations team plays a critical role in bringing our technology to life through the assembly integration deployment and field testing of unmanned systems that directly support mission-critical testing and operations.

Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation rapid iteration and collaboration.

We are seeking a Field Operations Lead to grow and lead our Field Operations team a tight high-trust high-skill group of five rapidly scaling to 10 as it deploys our autonomous orchestration systems in demonstrations test campaigns and field exercises alongside Mission Operations and Engineering Operations.

This is a player-coach role not a headquarters role. You will hold real authority over tasking and priorities but you will exercise it from the shop floor and the field: physically present hands-on constantly listening removing blockers and pushing decision authority down rather than concentrating it. You will be the voice of Field Operations shaping tasking horizons demo lead times and priorities in partnership with Mission Operations Engineering and company leadership.

The teams horizontal collaborative culture is its greatest asset. Your job is to scale that culture bringing the structure and rhythm a growing team needs while keeping what makes it work. Speed and proclivity to act is the greatest asset this needs to be harnessed and unleashed the Field Operations Leader will be at the forefront of making that happen.

People are more important than hardware no plan survives first contact and no structure eliminates the audible. To mitigate this risk of uncertainty you will build teams of teams through strong human relationships across NODA with clients and ultimately with the armed forces. As our systems transition to the field you will develop and deliver hands-on training that turns members of the armed forces into confident self-sufficient operators of NODA technology while leading your team to gather observations on pain points and requirements.

Travel up to 50% including evenings/weekends during mission-critical events and demonstrations and a willingness to deploy to forward locations overseas including austere environments.

Lead from the Field. Serve as a senior on-site NODA representative and customer point of contact at multi-domain field exercises and demonstrations directing setup/teardown troubleshooting and execution (including at overseas locations).

Grow the Team. Help recruit hire and onboard Field Operations Specialists and own the onboarding curriculum that transfers both craft and strategic context.

Develop People and Teams. Build the training program certification pipelines (e.g. FAA Part 107) cross-training and knowledge transfer and coach each team member along distinct career lanes building depth and redundancy in critical skills as the team scales.

Own the Safety Program. Own flight-worthiness verification integration timelines and test review processes that maximize learning from deliberate R&D test attrition; ensure a safe professional shop and field environment.

Integrate and Plan. Lead operational coordination with Mission Operations and Engineering Operations setting tasking horizons demo lead times and clear points of contact and plan and adapt complex multi-site deployment logistics as conditions change.

Build/Run Lean Systems. Run lean operational systems reporting rhythms task tracking inventory and delegated purchasing right-sized so the team spends its time building and flying.

Drive a Cycle of Improvement. Own deployment plans checklists logs and after-action reports and drive lessons learned and customer feedback into improved demo-readiness processes.

U.S. Citizen (required); ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance; active Secret or higher strongly preferred.

5 years of hands-on technical experience in field lab or operational environments including 5 years leading technical teams.

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

Demonstrated player-coach leadership: leading from the front developing people individually and earning trust through presence and listening rather than positional authority.

Experience scaling or building a small technical team ideally in a startup R&D or test-and-evaluation environment.

Proven planner with experience organizing complex rapidly changing operations or logistics efforts.

Self-aware and adaptable; effective under rapidly changing complex and ambiguous conditions.

Willing and able to deploy to forward locations overseas including austere environments.

Comfortable working in both lab and outdoor field environments; ability to lift 60 lbs and work in dynamic field conditions.

Leadership experience with a demonstrated servant-leadership style suited to a flat high-trust technical team.

Experience with UAS/robotic platforms payloads RF/communications and multi-domain test events.

Experience establishing safety programs test SOPs or demo-readiness processes for hardware in the field.

Familiarity with lightweight project and inventory tooling (e.g. Kanban boards Confluence asset tracking) and with right-sizing process to a small teams tempo.

Experience in defense applications of autonomous systems (e.g. DoD programs test ranges military exercises) including familiarity with military CONOPS and operations in contested or GPS/comms-denied environments.

Team builder who provides vision direction and motivation while protecting an adaptive confident and mission-driven culture.

Advocate who represents the teams needs credibly to customers partner teams and leadership.

Exceptional organizational and planning skills with a bias for action and for pushing authority down.

Composed decision-maker in high-pressure mission-critical settings.

Quality control and safety mindset with attention to detail; independent problem-solver with a collaborative ego-less approach.

Our culture fosters collaboration respect and trust empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary comprehensive benefits and opportunities for career addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We offer comprehensive medical dental and visions plans

• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals Company match

• Equity grants for new hires

• Unlimited PTO

• 11 Paid holidays

• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a holiday hiatus in November & December.

• Generous Parental Leave

• Military Leave for annual training or service requirements

• FSA

• DCFSA

• HSA

• Professional Development Opportunities

• Access to One Medical

• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services such as free legal and financial support are available to you as well.

A successful Field Operations Lead will have opportunities to expand into senior leadership roles as NODA scales. Possible paths include:

Director of Field Operations owning field operations strategy budget hiring and organizational growth across all programs.

Program / Deployment Manager leading major customer programs and multi-team deployment campaigns end-to-end.

Head of Test & Evaluation shaping test strategy across Mission Operations Engineering Operations and Field Operations.

Export Control Compliance

To conform to U.S. government export control regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR) you must be a U.S. citizen lawful permanent resident of the U.S. protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.

Equal Opportunity Statement

NODA AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse inclusive and respectful workplace and to maintaining equitable employment and hiring practices. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and make all employment decisions without regard to race color religion sex (including pregnancy childbirth and related medical conditions) sexual orientation gender identity or expression national origin age disability genetic information protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal state or local law.

As a federal contractor NODA AI complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) as amended. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the recruiting hiring and employment process.

Consistent with applicable federal state and local laws qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with applicable fair chance and ban-the-box laws including the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance where applicable. We actively encourage qualified individuals of all backgrounds including women minorities protected veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply.

NODA AI is committed to fostering an inclusive supportive and accessible work environment for all applicants and employees. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process please dont hesitate to reach out to us at or contact your recruiter so we can provide the support you need.

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Required Experience:

Manager