Research Assistant-Drone Flying Operations

Research Assistant-Drone Flying Operations

Are you passionate about agriculture, technology, and the vast prairies of Saskatchewan? Join our team as a member of our Agronomic Crop Imaging Laboratory at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources in the heart of Saskatoon, SK and be a key part of advancing precision agriculture practices.

As a pioneer in the industry, we are seeking a skilled and enthusiastic individual to join our dynamic team and contribute to the future of agricultural research and farming.

Primary Purpose : We are seeking an enthusiastic individual to join our team as a summer assistant in drone flying. This position offers an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience in flying drones while contributing to various projects and tasks within our lab which relate to precision agriculture.

Nature of Work : Data Organization : The busiest season can end up with more than 20 flights per day. Tracking memory cards for all flights and saving all the images to the University data storage at the end of the day is critical.

Some flexibility of hours and working around weather conditions is to be expected during peak flying seasons. Some overtime hours may be required during the busiest flying seasons of June and July.

Working outdoors in the field and travelling to different sites is a requirement of this position.

Typical Duties or Accountabilities :

1. Flight Operations : Assisting in conducting drone flights over research fields in Saskatoon and agricultural fields in and around Saskatchewan to gather essential data for crop analysis, precision farming, and yield optimization.

2. Data Collection : Utilize drone technology to capture high-resolution imagery, multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal data for in-depth analysis of crop health and field conditions.

Important to capture aerial images within 24 hours of field crews’ ground truth data collection. Regular once a week base imagery capture for most of the sites is required.

4. Field Preparation : Able to navigate various locations of the fields and set up Ground Control Points (GCPs) as well as capture RTK measurements occurring for each trial.

Prepare flight plans ahead of the flying season.

5. Drone Maintenance : Assist with the proper up-keep, calibration, and readiness of drones, batteries, and associated sensors (RGB camera, multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal sensors).

Education : Currently enrolled in agronomy, crop science, horticulture, plant ecology, plant biology, soil science, engineering or natural sciences.

Previous experience with flying drones is preferred but not required for this position.

Licenses : Have a valid driver's license of Saskatchewan and ability to operate our lab’s Phenobus when required. Ability to obtain a basic operations drone certificate license through Transport Canada to operate drones independently with supervision during peak seasons.

Experience : Gain practical experience in drone operation and aerial data collection in a supportive team environment. Get the opportunity to work on diverse projects and on different tasks both in the field and in the lab;

ability to work outdoors. Competitive hourly wage. Potential for future opportunities within the lab and department.

Skills : Proficiency in fundamental computer operations such as file management, navigating software interfaces, using keyboard shortcuts, and understanding basic terminology.

Some work may involve in collecting data from websites, and accurate and precise recording of minute details, therefore attention to detail to ensure accurate data collection is necessary.

Excellent communication and team-work skills. Physical comfort with prolonged computer use. The candidate should be comfortable with extended periods of computer use, as the task may require prolonged periods of staring at the screen while collecting data.

Patience and focus : since these tasks involve repetitive actions for an extended period, the candidate should have the ability to maintain focus and attention to detail without getting fatigued easily.

Be physically able to lift and move around large UAVs (20-30 lbs).