Airborne Sensor Operator

Company Overview

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.

Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service – spanning people, finance, platform, operations, legal, and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups, who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end, to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens, ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.

At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects, not just equipment. By owning the full stack – from the lab to the field – we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. It's a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Group Overview

Special Air Missions Group (SAM) is responsible for developing and delivering Metrea’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Special Mobility, and Aerial Firefighting (AFF) capabilities. SAM oversees the integration of new mission systems, ensuring operational readiness across specialised aviation operations. It manages fleet maintenance, regulatory compliance, and strategic partnerships to enhance mission effectiveness. By consolidating expertise and infrastructure, SAM ensures Metrea’s airborne capabilities remain adaptable and mission-ready across dynamic operational environments.  

Position Summary

The Airborne Sensor Operator (ASO) is responsible for the safe, effective, and professional operation of airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission systems in support of customer operational requirements. The ASO operates and manages a range of mission equipment, including electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors, radar systems, tactical communications, mission management systems, recording equipment, and associated airborne mission technologies. 

Working as part of an integrated aircrew, the ASO is responsible for the effective employment of mission systems to collect, exploit, and disseminate operationally relevant information across maritime and land environments. This requires the application of established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), sound operational judgement, and a detailed understanding of customer requirements. 

The ASO contributes to mission planning, briefing, execution, and debriefing, ensuring mission systems are correctly configured, operated, and maintained at the required level of readiness. The role requires effective communication and coordination with aircrew, ground teams, customer representatives, and other operational stakeholders throughout all phases of mission delivery. 

In addition to flying duties, the ASO supports operational readiness through equipment checks, mission preparation, training, continuation activities, and the development and maintenance of professional knowledge. The ASO is expected to maintain high standards of safety, security, quality, and professionalism while contributing to the consistent and effective delivery of airborne ISR operations. 

What You'll Do

• Operate and employ airborne ISR mission systems, including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, radar, mission management systems, tactical communications, recording equipment, and other mission-specific technologies
• Execute ISR missions across maritime and land environments in accordance with customer requirements, approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), and operational directives 
• Conduct airborne coordination with pilots, fellow ASOs, ground teams, supported elements, and other operational assets to maximise mission effectiveness and the employment of aircraft capabilities
• Conduct pre-mission activities, including mission planning, coordination, review of mission-specific information, mission-system preparation, equipment inspections, and contribution to aircrew briefings 
• Monitor, interpret, and exploit sensor and mission-system data, providing timely and operationally relevant information to support mission objectives and real-time decision-making
• Operate tactical communications, mission computers, recording equipment, sensors, and other mission equipment incorporated on the aircraft
• Conduct post-mission activities, including debriefing, maintenance of mission and operations logs, management of recorded data, and completion of required mission documentation
• Conduct pre-flight and post-flight checks of assigned mission systems and equipment, identifying and reporting faults and supporting troubleshooting activities to maintain operational readiness
• Maintain a detailed working knowledge of assigned mission systems, sensors, communications equipment, networks, SOPs, and TTPs
• Comply with applicable aviation safety, operational security, communications security, information security, and data-handling requirements
• Maintain all required ASO qualifications, currencies, competencies, and certifications, completing initial, continuation, recurrent, and ancillary training as required
• Complete all required operational, training, safety, and administrative records accurately and within required timescales
• Demonstrate sound judgement, effective communication, situational awareness, and the ability to manage multiple tasks in dynamic and high-workload operational environments
• Maintain high standards of safety, professionalism, discretion, accountability, and customer focus throughout all operational activities

What You Bring

• Previous experience as a trained Airborne Sensor Operator (ASO) conducting airborne ISR operations
• Experience operating ISR mission systems within a multi-crew aviation environment
• Demonstrated experience operating airborne mission computers, mission management systems, tactical moving-map software, and associated mission equipment
• Experience operating and employing airborne ISR sensors, including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) systems and other mission-specific sensor technologies
• Working knowledge of tactical communications, radio systems, data networks, and the dissemination of mission information
• Experience applying operational Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during airborne ISR operations
• Experience conducting mission planning, airborne mission execution, and post-mission reporting and debriefing
• Strong situational awareness with the ability to interpret sensor information, prioritise tasks, and operate effectively in dynamic and high-workload environments
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work professionally as part of an integrated aircrew and wider operational team
• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office applications and other standard business software
• Hold a current and appropriate security clearance for the role and be able to meet all applicable security and customer requirements

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Experience conducting ISR operations across both maritime and land environments
• Experience operating radar systems, including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Moving Target Indicator (MTI), and/or surface-search radar
• Previous deployed or rotational operational experience
• Experience supporting sensitive or specialist customer requirements
• Experience operating within multinational, joint, or multi-agency environments

Benefits

• Private Medical Insurance  
• Subsided gym membership / plans through Wellhub  
• Electric Car scheme  
• Cycle to work scheme  
• Salary sacrificed pension scheme
• 30 days annual PTO plus b/h  
• Enhanced Parental Leave  
• Eye Tests

Work Authorization / Security Clearance

• The candidate should have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom and will be able to produce right to work documentation
• Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate must hold, or be able to obtain and maintain, UK Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance

AAP/EEO Statement

Metrea Management Limited (MAFX) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or other characteristics protected by law.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time non-exempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs. Exempt Employees must have the ability to be on-call and available, as business needs require. Non-Exempt employees may be required to work over 40 hours per week with approval from the department manager.

Work Environment

This job operates in a deployed / physical environment according to aircraft availability and training programme. 

Travel

Frequent; travel to support deployments, training, or exercises.

Our Firmware

At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems.

Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.