Sensor Operator

Sensor Operator

Location – Sywell or Humberside

4 Days on 4 Days off - 12-hour shifts (07:15-19:15)

Fixed-term contract ending on 30th September 2026

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Excel Aviation Ltd is an industry leader in specialised and innovative solutions for aviation’s most complex challenges. Our success is based on the talented and experienced people that make up our workforce.

The Sensor Operator (SO) ensures that all data acquisition is conducted in accordance with operational and quality standards. You are responsible, throughout all phases of collection, for acquiring data to the high-quality standard required for exploitation.

The successful candidate will oversee day-to-day administrative responsibilities while deployed, including selecting and implementing the appropriate flight plan(s) as agreed with the Collection Management team. During flight operations, the SO is required to adjust hyperspectral and RGB sensor settings in real time to optimised data quality, ensuring all collected data meets required compliance and technical standards.

You should be comfortable working in and around aircraft and liaising with flight crew. You are team-oriented, possess a positive attitude and work well both independently and with others. You also have an enthusiastic nature and a willingness to learn, and can work in an organised, logical manner and to follow a prescribed process.

• Attend pre-flight briefing to determine collection requirements for that day and support the decision-making process.
• Support the pilot, as requested, during daily flight planning.
• Ensure that all the required equipment is prepared and ready for the collection.
• During the collection, operate the equipment/sensors and monitor the incoming data for quality. Record all information pertinent to the data capture.
• Post-flight, prepare all the data for ingestion into the server ready for processing.
• Transfer the hard copies of data capture reports to the 2
  
  Excel online system.
• Escalate issues or problems relating to the sensors and data capture to the Lead Sensor Operator.

• Aviation experience e.g. aerial survey, sensor operation, mission planning or private flying.
• Experience with mission planning software e.g. Sky Demon or similar.
• Relevant aviation/sensor operation experience or undergraduate degree with relevant technical content e.g. surveying, engineering, remote sensing, geomatics, GIS, physics etc.

• Experience with aerial survey software e.g. Track Air/IGI.
• Experience with GIS software and methods e.g. QGIS, and proficiency with standard geospatial vector/raster formats.

In return we can offer a generous salary, 25 days holiday per year from day one plus bank holidays, 5% matched Pension scheme, Group Life Insurance, Health and Wellbeing benefits including Private Health Care and an EAP, and much more.

Apply using our application form and upload your CV. You are encouraged to use the Covering Letter function to demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the role.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate the Right to Work in the UK and be in possession of a full UK driving license.

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Excel is committed to promoting equitable treatment, encouraging diversity, and embracing inclusion in our recruitment processes and among our work forces. In addition, we are proud to be recognised as a Disability Confident Employer.