Agricultural Pesticide Applicator / Drone Operations
Twisted J Agricultural Drones
Edna, Texas and surrounding South Texas service areas
Seasonal spraying work with full-time potential
Agricultural spraying, pasture, brush, hay fields, row crop, rangeland, and aquatic work
About the Role
Twisted J Agricultural Drones is looking for a dependable, agricultural-minded field operator to assist with agricultural drone spraying operations across South Texas.
This is agricultural field work first and drone operation second. The right person should have relevant experience tied to pesticides, farming, ranching, pasture, brush control, hay production, row crop, aquatic spraying, land management, chemical application, or agricultural spraying.
Drone experience is helpful, but actual ag experience, common sense, mechanical ability, safety awareness, decision-making, and the ability to learn and use technology are more important.
We are looking for someone who can be trained to eventually lead spray jobs and operate with more independence. You do not have to already be at that level, but you must have the drive, maturity, and ability to learn.
What You’ll Do
- Assist with agricultural spray drone operations for pasture, brush, hay fields, row crop, rangeland, and aquatic jobs
- Help with mapping, field boundaries, mission planning, and spray route setup
- Load, mix, rinse, clean, and maintain spray equipment according to company procedures and label requirements
- Handle tanks, pumps, hoses, nozzles, filters, generators, batteries, water, and chemical containers
- Perform pre-flight and post-flight inspections
- Monitor weather, wind, drift risk, obstacles, livestock, people, power lines, trees, terrain, and nearby aircraft activity
- Keep accurate spray records, acreage records, chemical usage records, job notes, and equipment logs
- Troubleshoot basic drone, battery, pump, nozzle, hose, GPS, controller, and equipment issues
- Communicate professionally with farmers, ranchers, landowners, and team members
- Coordinate minor job-site communication when needed, such as meeting location, chemical location, timing, or job completion details
- Represent the company with a respectful, hardworking, rural business mindset
Required Qualifications
- Relevant agricultural, pesticide, farming, ranching, spraying, or land management experience preferred
- Valid driver’s license
- Dependable transportation
- Clean driving record preferred
- Comfortable working outdoors in South Texas heat, humidity, mud, water, tall grass, brush, and rural terrain
- Able to lift and carry equipment, batteries, water, chemical containers, and supplies
- Strong attention to detail and safety
- Willingness to follow procedures exactly
- Basic mechanical troubleshooting ability
- Good communication skills
- Dependable, punctual, and able to work seasonal hours when spraying conditions are right
- Able to learn and use technology, mapping software, drone controls, GPS systems, and job-planning systems
- Must be willing to grow into more responsibility and eventually help lead jobs independently
FAA Part 107 Requirement
FAA Part 107 is preferred but not required at hire.
If hired without a Part 107 certificate, the employee must obtain it within 30 days of hire. Twisted J will provide training support and a study course.
Candidates with strong agricultural, pesticide, spraying, farming, ranching, equipment, mechanical, or field experience will be considered even if they do not currently have drone experience.
Pesticide / Agricultural Experience
Pesticide applicator experience is strongly preferred, but an individual pesticide license is not required at hire.
Twisted J operates under its applicable pesticide licensing. We are looking for someone who understands, or is capable of learning, agricultural spraying, chemical safety, pesticide labels, mixing procedures, drift risk, spray coverage, weather conditions, equipment operation, and field safety.
The agricultural background we are looking for should be relevant to the pesticide, farming, ranching, pasture, row crop, hay, brush control, land management, or agricultural spraying industry.
Drone Technology vs. Agricultural Application
This position uses drone technology, but it is not a general UAS, photography, mapping, inspection, or technology-only position.
Advanced drone, UAS, mapping, software, photography, inspection, or tech experience is respected, but those skills are only one part of this job. For this position, drone operation is the equipment used to complete agricultural pesticide applications.
The right candidate must be able to understand field conditions, weather windows, drift risk, spray routes, spray parameters, chemical mixes, equipment setup, and job execution. Decision-making, safety, physical field work, and efficient agricultural application matter more than having a long list of drone technology experience.
Strongly Preferred Experience
- Agricultural spraying or pesticide application
- Farming or ranching experience directly related to pasture, hay, row crop, brush control, land management, or chemical application
- Experience reading pesticide labels, mixing chemicals, tracking rates, understanding drift risk, or keeping spray records
- Custom applicator, farm hand, ranch hand, chemical applicator, crop, pasture, or land management experience
- Equipment operation in a farming, ranching, spraying, or field-work setting
- Mechanical troubleshooting
- Trailer pulling and backing
- Experience with pumps, tanks, valves, hoses, nozzles, filters, generators, ATVs, UTVs, or field equipment
- GPS, mapping, RTK, mission planning, or other technology experience
- Part 107 certificate
- Texas pesticide applicator license or prior pesticide applicator work
- Ability to make safe decisions in changing field conditions
Who This Job Is For
This job is a good fit for someone who:
- Has relevant agricultural, pesticide, farming, ranching, spraying, land management, equipment, mechanical, aviation, oilfield, or field work experience
- Understands that this is agricultural spraying work, not just drone flying
- Can work safely around chemicals, equipment, livestock, landowners, weather, and field obstacles
- Can follow directions without cutting corners
- Can stay calm when equipment, weather, or field conditions change
- Can troubleshoot problems instead of shutting down
- Pays attention to details
- Understands that one careless decision can cost money, damage property, or create liability
- Wants to grow into a lead operator role as quickly as they are capable
Who This Job Is NOT For
This position is not for someone who only wants to fly drones for fun or build drone experience for another industry.
Gaming, hobby drone flying, recreational drone experience, photography drones, mapping drones, inspection drones, or advanced UAS technology experience alone is not enough.
We are looking for someone who can become a strong agricultural pesticide applicator using drone equipment. This job requires agricultural judgment, physical work, chemical safety awareness, weather judgment, patience, responsibility, and common sense.
Schedule
This is seasonal agricultural spraying work with full-time potential.
Hours depend on weather, spraying conditions, customer demand, and job schedule. When conditions are right, the work may require long days, early starts, travel to job sites, and the ability to stay focused in real field conditions.
Sometimes there may only be a short weather window to spray. Other days may require long hours. This position requires someone who understands that agricultural spraying does not always follow a set schedule.
Location & Travel
- Based out of Edna, Texas
- Travel to job sites across South Texas required
- Company vehicle provided for job-related travel
- Local, Texas-based, and out-of-state applicants may apply
- Applicant must be willing to relocate or travel as needed if not local
The priority is finding the right fit with the right agricultural mindset, field judgment, work ethic, and ability to learn drone spraying operations.
Compensation
Pay is based on experience, availability, licenses/certifications, relevant agricultural or pesticide-related background, mechanical ability, ability to learn and use technology, and ability to work independently.
Acre bonuses may be available for efficient operations.
Application Questions
Please answer the following:
- Have you ever worked in agriculture, ranching, farming, spraying, pesticide application, equipment operation, oilfield, aviation, or field service work?
- What experience do you have with pesticides, chemical labels, mixing, spray records, drift management, or field spraying?
- What farming, ranching, pasture, hay, row crop, brush control, land management, or agricultural spraying experience do you have?
- What agricultural spraying, pesticide application, chemical handling, farming, ranching, pasture work, row crop, brush control, hay production, or land management experience do you have outside of drone technology?
- Are you comfortable working outside in South Texas heat, humidity, mud, tall grass, brush, and rural terrain?
- Can you back a trailer and handle pumps, tanks, hoses, valves, nozzles, filters, and field equipment?
- Tell us about a time equipment failed in the field and what you did to fix it.
- What experience do you have with GPS, mapping, technology, controllers, or job-planning software?
- Do you currently have a Part 107 certificate?
- If you do not have Part 107, are you willing and able to obtain it within 30 days of hire with training support provided?
- Do you currently have or have you ever had a pesticide applicator license?
- Why do you want to do agricultural drone spraying specifically?
- Are you willing to work seasonal hours when weather and spraying conditions are right?
- Are you interested in growing into a lead operator role?
License / Certification
- FAA Part 107: Preferred, or required within 30 days of hire
- Pesticide applicator license: Preferred, not required at hire
- Valid driver’s license: Required
Work Location
On the road / field-based
Serious applicants should immediately follow up their submission with a message to us informing us of the submission. Include your favorite MLB team next to your name.
Pay: From $20.00 per hour
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Application Question(s):
- Have you ever worked in agriculture, ranching, spraying, equipment operation, oilfield, aviation, or field service work?
- Are you comfortable working outside in the South Texas heat?
- Can you back a trailer, handle pumps/tanks/valves, and troubleshoot equipment?
- What drone models have you flown?
- Do you understand drift management/risk and weather monitoring?
- Do you understand how to read pesticide labels, mixing order, and maintaining spray records?
- Are you strong in math?
- Why do you want to do ag drone spraying specifically?
License/Certification:
- Part 107 license (Preferred)
- TDA Pesticide Applicators license (Preferred)
Work Location: On the road
