UAS Pilot - Industrial Reality Capture

UAS Pilot – Industrial Reality Capture
MiraCAD | Houston, Texas

Full-time • Houston office based with occasional work from home flexibility • Hourly, nonexempt • $35–$45/hour plus overtime

About MiraCAD

MiraCAD delivers reality capture, visualization, and digital strategy implementation for complex industrial facilities. We capture existing brownfield sites and turn accurate spatial data and high-resolution imagery into detailed digital representations that support engineering, maintenance, construction, and turnaround planning.

Our Cloud360 platform provides a web-based 3D viewing environment that organizes facility information and documentation by location, helping teams collaborate remotely and make better-informed decisions.

Our multidisciplinary team of engineers, surveyors, designers, and programmers works closely with clients to make industrial data accessible and useful.

About the role

We’re hiring a commercial UAS pilot for our Houston team to support projects at refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities.

This position suits a capable pilot who enjoys hands-on technical work, takes safety seriously, and wants to develop skills in industrial reality capture. You’ll plan and execute flights, manage equipment, and verify that captured data meets project requirements before handing it over for processing and integration into MiraCAD’s digital platforms.

MiraCAD will provide training in our industrial capture workflows, equipment, field procedures, and data-quality standards.

What you’ll do

• Plan and execute UAS missions for aerial photography, mapping, 3D reconstruction, and facility documentation.

• Serve as Remote Pilot in Command, following FAA requirements, company procedures, and client-specific site rules.

• Assess airspace, weather, obstacles, and site activity; coordinate required flight authorizations and site permissions.

• Conduct preflight inspections, risk assessments, crew briefings, and postflight checks. Make sound go/no-go decisions and stop operations when conditions become unsafe.

• Configure cameras, payloads, and flight plans to achieve the required coverage and image quality.

• Review captured data in the field, identify gaps or quality issues, and complete necessary recaptures before leaving the site.

• Coordinate with facility personnel, visual observers, project managers, and technical teams.

• Maintain and troubleshoot aircraft, batteries, payloads, and supporting equipment.

• Maintain clear flight logs, equipment records, and reports on capture progress and data quality.

• Organize, back up, and transfer captured data with accurate documentation for the processing team.

• Assist with related ground-based capture, equipment testing, and workflow improvements as projects require.

What you’ll bring

• An FAA Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating and current aeronautical knowledge recency.

• Demonstrated experience operating UAS safely on commercial projects.

• Strong situational awareness, mission-planning skills, and practical judgment.

• Working knowledge of camera settings and their effect on exposure, sharpness, and image quality.

• Proficiency with flight-planning software and basic data-management workflows.

• Technical aptitude and a methodical approach to troubleshooting.

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to follow procedures for safety, documentation, and quality assurance.

• Clear communication skills and the ability to work independently or alongside field crews and client representatives.

• A valid driver’s license and willingness to travel to project sites.

• Ability to work outdoors, wear required PPE, and perform field duties with reasonable accommodation.

• Ability to meet applicable client site-access and safety-training requirements.

Experience with DJI Matrice or ArduPilot-based aircraft, photogrammetry, LiDAR, RTK/PPK positioning, or 3D visualization platforms is an asset. Strong commercial pilots interested in learning industrial capture workflows are encouraged to apply.

Bonus skills

Experience in one or more of the following areas would help you stand out:

• Advanced photography: Camera settings, optics, lighting, and image quality.

• GIS, surveying, and CAD: Spatial data, mapping, positioning, and technical drawings.

• Inspection: Industrial asset inspection and condition documentation.

• Electronics and robotics: Equipment integration, controls, and troubleshooting.

• Programming, IT, and AI: Scripting, automation, data management, and practical technology applications.

These skills are optional. We welcome candidates with different combinations of technical strengths.

Compensation and benefits

• $35–$45 per hour , depending on relevant experience and technical skills.

• Overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

• Paid time off: Up to 80 hours annually , accrued on eligible non-overtime hours. Accrual pauses when the available PTO balance reaches 100 hours and resumes when PTO is used.

• Paid sick leave: Up to 40 hours per calendar year . Unused sick leave does not carry over.

• Eight paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

• Paid training in MiraCAD’s equipment, field procedures, and industrial capture workflows.

Location and schedule

This position is based at MiraCAD’s Houston office, with flexibility to work from home occasionally when duties and project requirements allow. Responsibilities include office-based project support, equipment preparation, and on-site fieldwork.

Fieldwork and travel are required based on project needs. Work locations and schedules vary with project requirements, weather, and client access windows. Early starts, extended shifts, and occasional weekend work may be required. Overtime availability varies with project demand and is not guaranteed.

How to apply

Select Apply to complete our online application.

Please include your résumé and a brief summary of your commercial UAS experience, including:

• Aircraft and payloads you have operated.

• Approximate commercial flight hours.

• Relevant certifications.

• Additional technical skills or project experience you would bring to MiraCAD.

Project examples are welcome where you are authorized to share them. We encourage experienced commercial pilots interested in developing industrial reality capture skills to apply.