Flight Control Operator

You'll become an expert at flying our balloons. We're not looking for someone to just follow procedures, we want you to get better at this than we currently are. Balloons fail often – sometimes from hardware issues, sometimes from weather, sometimes from our own mistakes. We launch a lot of them and we're constantly learning. You'll be developing new techniques and adapting as our hardware and software evolve.

This isn't like driving a car, with predictable inputs and outputs. Commands take time to execute, forecasts have uncertainty, and every balloon behaves a bit differently depending on its current state and hardware. You'll develop specialized knowledge that lets you make good calls quickly – when to avoid vs head through rough weather, how to correct for forecast uncertainties, and how to reach locations that push the bounds of what our hardware is capable of.

Ability to learn independently in an environment where procedures are constantly evolving

Comfort prioritizing and making judgment calls in high-pressure, uncertain environments

Excellent communication skills (oral and written), as well as the ability to collaborate effectively with engineering teams

Willingness to work long or unusual hours to get the balloons where they need to go

There’s no one set background that makes a great FC. Our current FCs have a wide range of past lives, from bike mechanics and wilderness guides to kpop academy learning managers. Above all, we’re looking for people who will genuinely love the day-to-day of learning to master flight control. If you think that’s you, we want to hear from you!

This is a part-time, fully remote position at approximately 20 hours per week, with an hourly rate of $24-$28 USD/hr. Hours are regularly scheduled rather than on-call — we'll work with you to find a consistent schedule that fits both your availability and our coverage needs. Weekend availability is strongly preferred. Reliable internet is required.