Closing Date: 31/08/2023

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a European non-profit Science and Technology oriented Educational and Research Institution based in Cyprus and led by an acclaimed Board of Trustees. The research agenda of the CyI is pursued at its five Research Centres: The Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CaSToRC), the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Centre (STARC), the Energy Environment Water Research Centre (EEWRC), the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C), and the Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Centre (STeDI-RC). Considerable cross-centre interaction is a characteristic of the Institute’s culture.

The Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory (USRL; http://usrl.cyi.ac.cy) of CARE-C, a flagship facility of the Cyprus Institute (CyI) develops and operates state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in various fields of research, including atmospheric sciences, environmental monitoring, including image-based earth observations.

Due to the increasing demand in flying operations mostly related to environmental monitoring and more specifically to preventive forest surveillance for the identification of fires at early stage, The Cyprus Institute is seeking three (3) UAS/UAV Pilots based on the project UAS for DOF EXNESS to actively contribute in flying operations as well as maintenance and further development of the UAS in close collaboration with the Cyprus Department of Forests. The

The successful candidates are expected to contribute with the maintenance and repairs on the UAS and support scientists and engineers of the team to integrate new instruments on board the UAVs.

The positions will be on a full-time basis for a fixed term of two (2) years, renewable depending on performance and availability of funds. The rank and salary of the position will depend on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

The successful candidate will be a member of the Research and Development Team of the USRL under the supervision of the Head of the USRL and under the Head of Operations of USRL.

Responsibilities/activities to be involved in:

1. Participating in Forest Surveillance operations
2. Coordinating and actively participating in ground and flight operation efforts including mission planning and inspections
3. Developing and Maintaining a high level of proficiency in the operations of the UAVs
4. Responsible of maintaining the airworthiness of the USRL UAV fleet to be available at any time
5. Responsible for safeguarding flight operations
6. Contributing in the development of UAS (Platforms, Systems and Ground Control Station)
7. Conducting scheduled Test Flights for the purpose of the development and optimization of the platforms and the avionic/navigation systems
8. Ensuring compliance with service guidance, Cyprus Institute’s policy and procedures
9. Comply with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and European-Union, Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations.
10. Participating in national and field deployment and demonstrations of UAVs.
11. Remaining current on UAS and associated technology and makes appropriate recommendations to his/her supervisors.

Required Qualifications

1. School Certificate
2. Knowledge of basic Aerodynamics and flight theory
3. Good experience in building and maintaining advanced RC models (fixed-wing and/or Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) platforms)
4. Knowledge and experience in general aviation and UAS
5. High level organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills
6. High level of communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to adapt in a multicultural international environment
7. Good knowledge of the English language both verbally and in writing.
8. At least 1 year of flight experience in unmanned aircraft is required either as a recreational, sport, private, or commercial pilot

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Greek language will be considered an advantage
• EASA certification for A1/A2/A3 (this certification it will be an advantage to have it prior employment but not an exclusion criterion for the position. It can be obtained with start of employment at CyI)
• First Person View flying experience

Application

For full consideration, interested applicants should process their application at The Cyprus Institute Exelsys Platform (https://bit.ly/3HDLRTw) based on the instructions given. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae including a short letter of interest, [list of publications] and a list of three (3) referees (including contact information) (all documentation should be in English and in PDF Format). For further information, please contact Christos Keleshis (c.keleshis@cyi.ac.cy). Please note that applications which do not fulfill the required qualifications and do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered.

Recruitment will continue until the position is filled.

The Cyprus Institute is an Equal Opportunities Employer certified from the Cypriot Ministry of Labor and also an HRS4R accredited Institution that adheres to the European Commission’s “Charter & Code” principles for recruitment and selection.

Contact person: Christos Keleshis

Reference number: CARE-C_UAS-UAV_23_15