Product Operations Associate (NZ)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 17, 2026. First seen by Alion on Aug 25, 2026. DroneDeploy scores B on the Alion truth index.
Role Overview
The DroneDeploy AI team is responsible for building and scaling robotics operations that power real-world inspections, data capture, and autonomous workflows. We’re hiring a Product Operations Associate to operate robots remotely, analyze data captures, optimize AI-driven workflows, and act as the bridge between operations, product, and engineering.
This role is essential for keeping our robots running safely and efficiently on-site, turning captured data into actionable insights, implementing AI workflows, and supporting our remote operations team. We value initiative, curiosity, and people who can translate frontline operational experience into improvements that directly impact product and engineering decisions. Join a team that’s breaking new ground in industrial robotics and AI, and help shape the future of how robots, people and AI work together in real world scenarios. The position is a fixed-term for 3 months, with the possibility of extension.
Work Environment
Work Location: Must be based in Auckland, New Zealand and able to work from the Auckland office at least three days per week. This is a full-time role with flexible working hours, but requires strong overlap with standard office hours.
Business Travel: Must be able to travel domestically and internationally, with occasional international travel required. May also need to support international customers across U.S. time zones.
AI tooling: Comfortable working with AI tools, including prompt tuning, testing, and evaluating outputs to improve real-world workflows.
Responsibilities
Operate and monitor robots remotely, ensuring tasks are completed safely and efficiently.
Act as the ops team voice in product and engineering discussions, providing real-world feedback and validating new features.
Coordinate a distributed remote ops team: assign tasks, unblock issues, and keep operations running smoothly.
Own daily planning, task tracking, and documentation across shifts and time zones.
Produce daily summaries and reports on robot performance, metrics, and operational trends.
Maintain operational playbooks and knowledge bases for repeatable, scalable processes.
Work with customers and site teams to resolve daily operational blockers, ensuring robots can operate safely and efficiently.
Identify gaps between product intent and real-world usage, and turn frontline experience into actionable improvements.
Leverage AI and automation tools to streamline workflows, detect anomalies, and reduce manual effort.
Requirements
Strong organizational skills: able to manage tasks, shifts, and workflows across distributed or remote teams.
Experience producing reports, metrics, or summaries that clearly communicate operational performance to stakeholders.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to translate technical observations into actionable insights. Can tailor communication for different audiences.
Able to coordinate with cross-functional teams and work directly with customers or site teams to resolve operational blockers.
Self-starter with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-moving environment.
Detail-oriented while able to prioritize what matters most; anticipates and mitigates operational risks.
Curious about emerging technology and AI; excited to experiment, iterate, and optimize workflows. Having built web applications or tools is a bonus.
Occasionally lift and position robots and related equipment (typically up to 50 lbs / 23 kg).
Comfortable attaching and securing payloads (e.g., 360° cameras) onto robotic platforms.
Basic knowledge of construction projects, including the various phases of construction and the operational workings of a job site
Familiarity with basic scripting, vibe-coding, dashboards, or workflow automation.