Drone Operator & Geospatial Surveyor

Ridge and Partners LLP; Bristol; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A multi-disciplinary consultancy firm in Bristol is seeking a talented Drone Operator and Geospatial Surveyor. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning and executing drone missions, processing aerial data, and maintaining compliance with regulations. This role requires strong skills in surveying, experience with various tools, and the ability to work effectively both in teams and independently. Candidates should possess a full clean driving license and relevant drone operation certification. Opportunities for further skill development and working on prestigious projects are available.

Qualifications

• Valid CAA General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC) with current Flyer ID.
• Experience in professional drone operations including planning of drone flights and operations.
• Experience in Infrared (Thermal) surveying, project set up, data capture, processing and interpretation.
• Strong understanding of surveying principles and methodologies.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute drone flight missions for surveying and mapping projects.
• Conduct pre‑flight site assessment and risk evaluations.
• Process and analyse aerial data using various software packages.
• Create detailed survey reports and 3D photogrammetric models.
• Maintain drone equipment and ensure compliance with CAA regulations.

Skills

CAA General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC)

Professional drone operations

Infrared (Thermal) surveying

Photogrammetry and modelling software

Surveying principles and methodologies

Survey equipment such as Total Stations

Leica Cyclone or Register 360

AutoCAD

Communication skills

Teamwork

Full clean driving license

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Leica P40

Leica RTC360

Leica BLK range

NavVis VLX

GNSS

Total Stations

Terrestrial laser scanners

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Geospatial discipline within Ridge and work amongst a keen and driven young group of professionals to diversify our existing client base and promote further success of the team. We work with a wide range of clients to manage their property portfolios, projects and transactions and due to our continuing success; Ridge and Partners are now looking for a talented Drone Operator and Geospatial Surveyor to join our multi‑disciplinary consultancy office in our Bristol office. As a Drone Operator and Geospatial Surveyor at Ridge you will benefit from opportunities to further develop your skills and experience whilst working on prestigious projects. Our projects include large residential, industrial and commercial schemes with contract values over £30 million to much smaller schemes. You will also work with interesting clients including, large retail companies, local authorities, schools/universities, contractors, developers etc together with the option to work on exciting overseas projects.

Role And Responsibilities

• Plan and execute drone flight missions for a variety of surveying and mapping projects.
• Conduct pre‑flight site assessment and risk evaluations.
• Process and analyse aerial data using a variety of software packages.
• Create detailed survey reports, 3D photogrammetric models and orthomosaic maps.
• Maintain drone equipment and ensure compliance with CAA regulations.
• Collaborate with project teams to deliver to client requirements.
• Perform quality control.
• Undertaking topographical surveys using Drones, Total Stations, GNSS and Terrestrial laser scanners.
• Processing and analysing survey data to create 2D/3D topographical surveys using N4ce and AutoCAD.
• Undertaking measured building surveys using a variety of laser scanning equipment including the Leica P40, Leica RTC360, Leica BLK range, NavVis VLX and MLX mobile mapping systems.
• Registration and processing of laser scan survey data into usable point cloud data using Leica Cyclone and Register360.
• Analysing data using plans, maps, charts and software such as AutoCAD.
• Preparing 2D and 3D survey drawings/models using AutoCAD and Revit.

Skills, Experience And Qualifications

• Valid CAA General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC) with current Flyer ID.
• Experience in professional drone operations including planning of drone flights and operations.
• Experience in Infrared (Thermal) surveying, project set up, data capture, processing and interpretation.
• Proficiency in photogrammetry and modelling software.
• Strong understanding of surveying principles and methodologies.
• Experience in using survey equipment such as Total Stations, GNSS, Laser Scanners, etc.
• Experience in using Leica Cyclone or Register 360 to process laser scan datasets. Similar software packages such as Trimble RealWorks or Faro Scene are also acceptable.
• Experience in using AutoCAD to produce survey outputs.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively alone or as part of a team.
• Full clean diving license is essential.

Further Information

• Working hours are between the hours of 08:30 and 17:00 with a 1‑hour lunch break.
• Working weekends or night shifts may be required in addition to starting earlier and finishing late on some occasions.

The role requires a combination of working within a team office environment whilst also working outdoors on a range of sites. There is a requirement to travel to sites and sometimes work away from home for stretches of time. Depending on the piece of land/building and how it is being used you may be required to work shifts or out of hours.