Flight Operations Manager

Job Title:
Flight Operations Manager, New York

Location:
New York
Department:
Flight Operations, Drone Services
Type:
Full Time, Permanent

About Us:

Founded in 2018, Skyports is at the forefront of the Advanced Air Mobility revolution, developing and operating cutting-edge infrastructure for electric air taxis and leveraging drone technology to transform business operations across industries.

Our business is split into two key areas:

• Skyports Drone Services uses drones to streamline logistics, capture data, and enhance operational efficiency, with a focus on rural deliveries, surveying, surveillance, and maritime services.
• Skyports Infrastructure plays a vital role in the Urban Air Mobility ecosystem, designing, building, owning, and operating vertiports that enable eVTOL operators to take off and land in cities around the world.

With our presence in this dynamic, high-growth industry, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of our mission to reshape the future of air mobility.

You will lead Skyports’ US flight operations. The role covers people management, mission delivery, safety, compliance, and regional planning. You will be responsible for Remote Pilots and Team Leaders across all sites, ensuring we operate safely and meet contract requirements. The role suits someone comfortable with BVLOS, VLOS, inspection and delivery tasks, and managing a small multi-state team.

Operational Delivery

• Lead day-to-day operations across all US sites.
• Oversee planning, pre-flight checks, flight execution, and close-out.
• Ensure all missions follow SOPs, Con Ops, and Skyports' Flight Operations Directive.
• Manage platform readiness, engineering authorisation standards, and serviceability.
• Own resourcing plans for people, platforms, and ROCs.

Safety and Compliance

• Maintain a strong safety culture across the team.
• Ensure all RPs keep competency, currency, and engineering authorisations current.
• Lead safety reviews, incident reports, and corrective actions.
• Liaise with the FAA and local authorities for approvals and permissions.
• Line manager for all US Remote Pilots and Team Leaders.
• Run 1:1s, performance reviews, and technical development plans.
• Drive the training pathway so all RPs move through Level 1–2 qualifications.
• Support new hires, onboarding, and skills progression.

Stakeholder Management

• Represent Skyports to Turner, PANYNJ, and other clients.
• Work with BD, Technology, Safety, and Project teams.
• Support customer onboarding, demos, and contract delivery milestones.

Operational Growth

• Build capability as new cities open.
• Help select TOLPs, ROCs, and infrastructure.
• Support hiring, contractor onboarding, and future team scaling.

• Proven operations leadership in aviation or drones.
• Strong understanding of Part 107 and BVLOS frameworks.
• Experience in multi-site or remote operations.
• Good technical understanding of UAS, GCS, maintenance cycles, and authorisations.
• Clear communicator who is comfortable with customers.