Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios, and beyond.
About the Role
Skydio is seeking a Readiness Specialist to get our dock customers from signed opportunity to a running program. You will own a book of accounts within a region, from large cities to small towns, and project manage each customer through everything that has to be true before a dock flies: the site, the network, the policy and approvals behind the program, the flight operation that will run it, and a clean handoff to Customer Success. Most of that work is done by other people, inside the customer and inside Skydio, and none of them report to you. The job is building the relationships that get it done, and holding the date.
This is a remote role. Travel of 50 to 60% is required to support site surveys, customer engagements, deployments, team onsites, and company events.
About the Team
The Launch Team is the operational arm of Skydio's dock business. We sit between the opportunity and the running program, and readiness means everything a customer needs to launch. We do not perform every piece of that work, but we project manage the customer to all of it and are accountable for the date.
Readiness starts before the contract is signed. Much of it runs on calendar time Skydio does not control, such as an engineering study, a purchase order, or an MOU in legal review, so the earlier it starts, the sooner the dock is in the ground. The team is measured on time-to-launch, readiness gate adherence, deployment schedule performance, and the condition of the program at handoff.
Readiness Specialists are critical members of the Skydio organization and work closely with Account Executives, Solutions Engineers, Deployment Engineering, Integrations, and Customer Success to support successful deployments, customer confidence, and the long-term success of dock programs.
How You’ll Make an Impact
Own a book of dock accounts within your region and run the weekly customer cadence, readiness record, and risk tracking on every one, from opportunity through clean handoff to Customer Success.
Build the working relationships that move a launch: the customer's program manager, facilities and IT staff, procurement, and legal on the outside, and Account Executives, Solutions Engineers, Deployment, and Customer Success on the inside.
Lead site surveys and make-ready planning, including rooftop and site assessments, power and mounting, and RF, LTE, and network readiness with the customer's IT and network administrators.
Drive the non-technical path to launch: waivers and BVLOS approvals, policy and data retention, council or board authorization, and pilot staffing and training. Name that work for the customer early so it does not surprise them later.
Hold the line on readiness gates. Deployment prerequisites are verified before a dock ships, and when an account goes dark or a blocker exceeds your authority, escalate early through the AE, SE, or leader who can clear it.
Cover for other specialists in your region during absence or surge, and turn what you see across launches into playbook improvements and prioritized, defensible feedback for Product and Engineering.
What Makes You a Good Fit
3+ years in a customer-facing project management, implementation, deployment, or operations role.
Experience managing a portfolio of concurrent projects with timelines, dependencies, and outside stakeholders you do not control.
Familiarity with Drone as First Responder concepts of operation and dock based remote operations. Professional experience is strongly preferred.
Comfort working with public sector and enterprise customers, including their IT, facilities, procurement, and legal teams.
Highly organized with strong attention to detail, and disciplined about keeping the system of record current.
Excellent written and verbal communication. You can brief an operator, a program manager, and a chief or a city council without changing the facts.
Nice to Have
Prior public safety service, or experience standing up a Drone as First Responder program on the agency side.
Experience supporting an agency through a public approval process, such as council or board authorization, public comment, or privacy and data retention policy.
Familiarity with site survey, RF and LTE assessment, and network readiness for fixed installations.
Familiarity with grant funding pathways and cooperative purchasing vehicles used by state and local agencies.
Working knowledge of Salesforce, Palantir, Databricks, or equivalents.
What Is Required
FAA Part 107 Certificate, or the ability to obtain one within 60 days of hire.
Ability to travel 50 to 60% of the time.
Ability to lift up to 60 lbs unaided.
Comfortable working outdoors, at height, and performing physical tasks including climbing ladders.
Compensation: At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual salary range for this position is $125,000 - $170,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.
*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.
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At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.
For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
Skills Required
- 3+ years of experience in customer-facing project management, implementation, deployment, or operations
- Experience managing concurrent projects with timelines, dependencies, and external stakeholders
- Familiarity with Drone as First Responder concepts of operation and dock-based remote operations
- Experience working with public-sector and enterprise customers, including IT, facilities, procurement, and legal teams
- Strong organizational, attention-to-detail, written communication, and verbal communication skills
- FAA Part 107 Certificate, or ability to obtain one within 60 days of hire
- Ability to travel 50% to 60% of the time
- Ability to lift up to 60 pounds unaided
- Comfort working outdoors, at heights, and performing physical tasks including climbing ladders
- Prior public safety service or experience establishing a Drone as First Responder program
- Experience supporting public approval processes, including council or board authorization, public comment, or privacy and data retention policy
- Familiarity with site surveys, RF and LTE assessment, and network readiness for fixed installations
- Familiarity with grant funding pathways and cooperative purchasing vehicles used by state and local agencies
- Working knowledge of Salesforce, Palantir, Databricks, or equivalent systems
Skydio Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Skydio and has not been reviewed or approved by Skydio.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is consistently highlighted in job postings and company profiles for full-time roles, and engineering compensation information indicates it is a meaningful part of total pay. This emphasis positions ownership as a core element of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is portrayed as generous, spanning PTO, paid holidays, sick time, and parental/family leave, with some mentions of company shutdowns. The breadth of options makes time away from work a notable strength of the package.
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Healthcare Strength — Core coverage includes medical, dental, vision, and mental-health benefits, often alongside FSAs/HSAs and protections such as life and disability insurance. These elements are presented as part of a comprehensive baseline for employees.
Skydio Insights
What We Do
Skydio is the leading US drone company and world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial transportation. Our mission is to make the world more productive, creative, and safe with autonomous flight.
Why Work With Us
The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, and operational excellence to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users - from action sports enthusiasts to first responders to insurance claims adjusters.
