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The CSU Drone Center is a Core Facility at CSU. The Drone Center is supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering. The Drone Center offices and lab are in the Daryl Simons Building at the Engineering Research Center.

The Drone Center exists to serve the research, educational, outreach, and service needs of the University as it relates to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), more commonly called drones. The work unit is comprised of the Director, an Assistant Director, a UAS Research Technician and five part time student hourly employees. They work together to provide drone flight services, aircraft building/integration, research support and consultation, computer mapping/modeling, educational programs, airfield management, and community engagement. The Drone Center staff also hosts teaching and training workshops for drone piloting, FAA endorsement, mapping and modeling, and first responder flight trainings.

Fort Collins is an attractive community of about 170,000 along the Colorado Front Range at the base of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver. The city is routinely recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. It consistently ranks high on quality-of-life measures by numerous publications; see https://www.fcgov.com/visitor/awards for the complete list.

The Front Range has developed into a high-tech hub with companies such as Woodward, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, IBM, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Broadcomm, AMD, Xilinx, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman located in or near Fort Collins. The city offers a pleasant climate with excellent schools and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities nearby. For more information on Fort Collins, please visit the City’s website: www.visitftcollins.com.

The UAS Research Technician will assist in all aspects of supporting the CSU Drone Center, but with a strong focus on growing the CSU Drone Centers research portfolio. This will be done through flight operations, client acquisition, expanding research applications, and management of the SITTs site. Their role will be pivotal to the center’s success and incorporates collaboration with a wide range of clientele and internal and external education and program support.

The UAS Research Technician will also be responsible for:

This position directly supports the technical/research functions of the Center and may assist with maintenance and development of UAS systems at the component level and will assist with managing airspace and drone use at the Christman Airfield.

This is a full-time position based in Fort Collins, CO reporting to the Drone Center Director.

Applicants must be willing to work non-standard hours including some early mornings, nights, and weekends. The UAS Research Technician will be required to travel up to 30% of the time primarily within the state of Colorado, but some US and international travel may be possible.

The successful applicant must be authorized to work in the United States by the proposed start date, the department will not sponsor a visa for this position.

To apply, please upload:

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.

Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.