Are you someone who:
- Enjoys building deep expertise in complex systems
- Thrives without a reliable script to follow
- Is interested in building real-world-applicable intuitions for wind patterns and forecasts
Then you might be a good fit for WindBorne’s Flight Control Operator role!
WindBorne Systems operates the world's largest constellation of autonomous weather balloons. We achieve full atmospheric coverage by launching balloons spread across time and space, but sometimes need to navigate them to specific locations—like into the eye of a typhoon. Balloons navigate by changing their altitude: drop ballast to ascend, or vent gas to descend. Different altitudes have different wind speeds and directions, so if you understand the wind field, you can route a balloon anywhere in the world. In practice, flight control is a mix of meteorology, physics, and operational judgment.
The role:
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.
What we're looking for:
- 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!
Hours
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.
This role is a good fit for U.S. citizens living abroad or anyone looking for steady part-time work with non-traditional hours. Please include your general availability (days/times and timezone) when you apply.
Eligibility
Due to the nature of our work supporting U.S. defense operations, this position requires U.S. citizenship. A security clearance is not required.