The short version

We’re looking for Mission Commanders to join autonomous airship flight operations at Kelluu. You’ll plan and supervise missions, make real-time decisions while aircraft are in the air, coordinate with authorities and ground crews, and ensure every flight produces data that matters. The role is a combination of intense flight operations, office-based planning and development work. If you’re the kind of person who stays calm under pressure, takes personal responsibility seriously, and finds energy in solving problems others might walk away from — keep reading.

About Kelluu

We are turning the real world into a digital one, with accuracy down to the smallest detail. Imagine a near future where everything you see can be explored through data delivered by Kelluu, and where AI works continuously across that data to find what you need to know. Everything turned into answers.

We’re a Finnish deep-tech company, headquartered in Joensuu with offices in Helsinki and Tampere. The team is growing fast, the goals are ambitious, and we’re hiring people who want to build something that matters.

Our technology is flight-proven and operational. We’re a NATO DIANA Phase 2 alumni with several thousands of hours of autonomous BVLOS flight experience, active programmes across multiple NATO nations, and a rapidly growing team. We operate in both defence and civilian markets: the same technology that supports border security also monitors critical infrastructure and the environment.

P.S. We just raised 15M€ Series A.

Why this role exists

Kelluu’s operations are scaling. We’re flying more missions, in more locations, with higher stakes. Mission Commanders are the people who make sure every flight is safe, legal, and productive. As we grow, we need more people who can own the full mission lifecycle — from planning and regulatory coordination through to real-time airborne decision-making and post-mission data handoff.

What you’ll own

Your day-to-day will shift with the seasons, but here’s what the work looks like:

During flights:

• Flight planning and flight supervision — you’re the person responsible when the airship is in the air

• Interpreting weather forecasts and observations to make go/no-go decisions

• Coordinating airspace matters with aviation authorities

• Coordinating with ground crew, IT personnel and other relevant stakeholders during operations

• Real-time monitoring and decision-making throughout the flight

• Route planning and pre-mission preparation: obstacles, emergency landing plans, documentation

• Ensuring operations produce usable data for the downstream pipeline

Between flights:

• Background development work — improving processes, tools, and procedures

• Planning future missions and operational deployments

• Documentation, reporting, and regulatory coordination

The impact you’ll have:

• You’ll directly influence whether Kelluu’s missions succeed — safely, on time, and with data quality that clients depend on

• Your decisions will shape how autonomous flight operations scale across new markets and geographies

Your team

You’ll work alongside fellow Mission Commanders, Pilots, the Operations Lead, and the Head of Operations, as well as various stakeholders across the organisation. Communication and information flow between this group is critical.

What success looks like

By 3 months, you will have:

• Completed initial training and shadowed experienced Mission Commanders during live operations

• Gained a working understanding of Kelluu’s airspace coordination processes, regulatory requirements, and flight planning tools

• Led your first supervised missions

By 6 months:

• Independently planning and commanding missions

By 12 months:

• A trusted, autonomous Mission Commander contributing to process improvements and mentoring newer team members

What we’re looking for

You’ll thrive here if you have:

• Flexibility and willingness to stretch — changing conditions, and unpredictable days are part of the job

• Willingness to travel, quite a bit

• A strong sense of personal responsibility — you can’t walk away when the airship is in the air

• A problem-solving mindset with a default to optimism — your instinct is to find a way to make it work while adhering to safety protocols and regulations

• Resilience and thick skin — long days, failed missions due to weather or equipment, and pushback from stakeholders come with the territory

• Enough life experience to not be rattled by setbacks

• Team spirit and good humour — the culture involves jokes and camaraderie; being too serious doesn’t fit

• Calm under pressure — you can’t get anxious staring at screens during hours of monitoring

• Strong communication skills — able to justify decisions clearly, ensure stakeholders are updated on flight status, and keep information flowing

• An understanding of the big picture — not just your own task, but how your work feeds into the data pipeline and others’ work downstream

• A positive attitude toward technology — AI tools and tech interfaces are a big part of the work
  

Even better if you also bring:

• Aviation background — airspace structures, weather interpretation, and flight planning will come naturally

• Commercial pilot training or equivalent aviation qualification

• Drone operating experience

• Experience operating in controlled airspace

• Familiarity with working in a startup or fast-paced tech environment

• Ability to work with technical tools, systems, and data platforms

What you get

The opportunity:

• A front-row seat in building autonomous aerial intelligence operations — technology that serves both national security and society

• Real influence on how things are built, in a company that’s scaling fast

• Work that shifts with the seasons and never gets repetitive

The practicalities:

• Salary: 3500-3700€ depending on your experience

• Benefits: healthcare, lunch, culture/sports/wellbeing benefit (Epassi), phone

• The tools you need to do your best work

• Flexible, distributed work — current offices in Helsinki, Joensuu (HQ), and Tampere. What matters is what you deliver, not where your desk is.

The kind of place this is

Kelluu is a dual-use deep-tech company at the intersection of autonomy, AI, and aerial intelligence. We build technology that serves both national security and society, and we take that responsibility seriously.

We’re scaling fast, which means you’ll have real influence on how things are built. The flipside: things move quickly, priorities shift, and everyone wears a few hats. If you want a finished playbook and a clear lane, this probably isn’t the right fit. If you want to write the playbook yourself, it might be exactly right.

We use AI tools extensively, not as a gimmick, but because it lets a growing team move faster than anyone expects. We expect everyone to be curious about how to work smarter.

Details

• Location: Joensuu, Tampere or Helsinki. 20-60% travel.

• Start date: As soon as possible

• Reports to: Operations Lead

• Official title: Airship Operations Supervisor

Due to the nature of our business in the defence and dual-use sectors, the selected candidate must successfully pass a security clearance.

Interested?

Apply by 30.4.2026. Include your CV and application.

What to expect:

1. Initial call with our Talent Partner Tina Wirzenius

2. Interview with our Head of Operations and/or Operations Lead

3. Meet the team

4. Reference check and offer

Questions? Reach out to Tina Wirzenius +358 50 465 7404. If we miss your call, please send us a text message.