UAS Program Director

UAS Program Director

Kootenai Electric Cooperative is located in scenic North Idaho, the heart of abundant recreational opportunities. Settled in a beautiful lakefront mountain setting, it is a favorite destination for tourists. Just outside our back door are national forests, lakes, rivers, and trails offering plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, boating/water sports, fishing, hunting, golfing, snow sports, and much more. The four distinct seasons offer recreational opportunities year-round. The Coeur d'Alene/Hayden metropolitan area also offers a variety of entertainment and shopping venues and is a short 45-minute drive to Spokane, Washington and access to domestic and international air travel.

The UAS Program Director is responsible for managing KEC's UAS program, conducting aerial surveys of utility rights-of-way and infrastructure using LiDAR-equipped drones. This role supports the utility's vegetation management program and infrastructure design by collecting, processing, and inputting data into mapping and analysis software. The position provides necessary documentation and data for regulatory, safety, and operational use.

Core Competencies
- Safety: Adhere to all workplace and trade safety laws, regulations, standards, rules, and practices. Use of Personal Protective Equipment as required. Take individual responsibility in managing safety risks and reporting unsafe conditions or unsafe work practices. Respond positively to safety-oriented feedback. Contribute to a culture of safety.
- Quality of Work: Produce thorough, high quality work with minimal errors. Seek feedback, make corrections as needed. Identify problems and solve them. Strive to improve processes. Work collaboratively with team members to implement systemic changes.
- Productivity: Complete assigned work in a timely fashion. Utilize slow periods productively. Produce amount and volume expected, at accepted speed.
- Technical Skills/Job Knowledge: Demonstrate appropriate level of understanding of technical skills in area of expertise, technology, products, and/or processes involved. Perform assigned duties. Keep current on changes. Competent with all technology and industry best practices necessary to perform job. Maintains necessary certification(s).
- Communication: Oral and written communication clearly convey information. Keep others informed of activities and problems in timely manner. Listen well. Respond appropriately and respectfully.
- Teamwork/Ability to Work With Others: Demonstrate ability to work in positive manner with co-workers and/or customers with differing backgrounds, opinions, capabilities, etc. Willingly share skills, competencies, and knowledge with others. Establish and maintain strong, effective working relationships. Contribute effectively to group efforts. Promote harmony. Agree to disagree without damaging relationships.
- Accountability: Maintain excellent attendance and punctuality. Arrive on-time and be prepared to work. Accept responsibility for work and actions. Be reliable.
- Integrity: Demonstrate honesty, high ethical standards, and respect for all team members, co-workers, and KEC members.
- Professionalism: Always address internal and external customers with courtesy and respect. Dress in work attire appropriate to the position. Communicate business information in timely fashion, using means of communication appropriate to the situation.
- Support of Cooperative Goals, Policies, and Procedures: Support Cooperative goals. Adhere to all Cooperative policies and procedures. Understand that internal customer and external member focus is always top priority. Contribute effectively in support of that priority.
- Problem-Solving: Use sound logic and methodology to solve problems. Explore multiple sources for answers, as required. Able to identify hidden problems. Propose solutions.

Job Responsibilities/Essential Functions
- Develops, implements, and manages KEC's UAS program, including its standard operating procedures. Works with management on budgeting and long-term planning to carry out program goals.
- Coordinates UAS missions across departments, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and adherence to safety standards and all FAA rules and regulations.
- Conducts pre-flight planning, including reviewing project requirements, assessing weather conditions, identifying potential hazards, and developing a flight plan that ensures safe and efficient data collection. Schedules drone flights over utility corridors following vegetation management work using LiDAR and high-resolution cameras in compliance with FAA Part 107 and other applicable regulations and/or laws.
- Captures and processes survey data using appropriate software tools to generate import files, data sets, and reports. Communicates findings to internal stakeholders.
- Maintains FAA authorizations and certifications, including:
o Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification
o LAANC airspace authorizations
o Any required operational/flight waivers
- Maintains UAS fleet, ensuring that hardware, software, and maintenance records are up to date. Utilizes flight management software for diagnostics and battery management.
- Adheres to all safety protocols and best practices for UAS operations.
- Maintains comprehensive documentation of pre-flight inspections, flights, equipment logs, and analysis reports and supports documentation for internal audits, regulatory reviews, and vegetation management planning.
- Stays informed about drone industry regulations, mapping technologies, and inspection trends.
- Provides training and coordinates with other UAS licensees on maintenance and reports. Leads flight missions when multiple people are involved.
- Coordinates with management and foremen to conduct infrastructure patrols during storm and PSPS response efforts to expedite customer re-energization.
- Troubleshoots technical issues and manages the UAS fleet maintenance schedules, repair coordination, firmware updates, and equipment inventory tracking.
- Collaborates with management to integrate drone technology into workflows, identifying where drone technology can add value.
- Creates reports and presentations and conducts demonstrations.
- Performs other duties as directed or required.

Job Requirements
- Education/Experience:
o High school diploma or equivalent.
o Associate's degree in surveying, mapping, GIS, or related field preferred.
o 5+ years of experience in UAS operations within the electric utility industry or related technical field.
o Proven UAS expertise through hands-on experience in professional drone operations and program management.
o Two years' experience in handling large datasets, including GIS and LIDAR data, with skills in data cleaning, transformation, and visualization preferred.
o Current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate with demonstrated flight hours.
- Knowledge/Skill
o Proficiency in photogrammetry and LiDAR data acquisition, processing, and analysis.
o Strong knowledge of FAA regulations, airspace classifications, and UAS best practices.
o Strong project management abilities including organizing, scheduling, resource allocation, and stakeholder communication.
o Proficiency with UAS flight planning software, GIS tools, and data analysis platforms. cybersecurity and data privacy considerations in drone operations. Working knowledge of GIS concepts and working with GIS tools.
o Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.?
o Ability to effectively communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
o Understanding of data management principles including storage, security, and integration with enterprise system.
o Skilled in comparing, copying, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, and synthesizing.
- Working Conditions/Hazards:
o Extensive travel from KEC's main office through the service territory.
o Work is performed in all types of weather conditions.
o Must be available for unscheduled work.
o Travel may be required for training or other purposes.

Interested candidates must complete a KEC employment application at www.kec.com. This position will remain open until filled, with priority consideration given to those who apply by August 24, 2025

Kootenai Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their disability or protected veteran status.