Brazil General Manager (Contract)

Pyka is looking for a General Manager to support the development and commercialization of its advanced autonomous aircraft in Brazil. In this role, you will oversee successful operation of our autonomous crop spraying aircraft with launch customers, ensuring seamless execution and alignment with Pyka’s strategic objectives in the region.

You will be responsible for staffing and equipping each operating location to meet business goals while maintaining strong relationships with customers to ensure their evolving needs are met.

You will manage an on the ground team operating at our customer sites, and will be responsible for putting in place the systems required for us to scale to dozens of operating aircraft in the next two years.

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. 

Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce C02 emissions in their respective industries. 

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day. 

Responsibilities

• Own customer relationships and trial operations at 3-4 farms and growing
• Set and communicate goals and priorities to operations personnel 
• Manage a small team of operators and maintenance personnel
• Maintain culture of safety within the Pyka team and customer operators
• Manage complex logistics in support of flight operations 
• Manage inventory including import/export and customs in Brazil
• Travel to and participate in commercial deployments and demonstrations around Mato Grosso 
• Identify organizational needs and develop processes/initiatives accordingly
• Support sales organization signing new contracts and expanding the scope of current operations

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in a GM or senior operations role in agriculture or industrial equipment, services or technology businesses
• Strong understanding of agriculture spray operations in the state of Mato Grosso
• Experience managing complex relationships with launch customers of new technology
• Experience managing operational teams remotely and in person
• Fluent in Portuguese and English
• Comfortable working in a rapidly changing environment
• Extreme attention to detail and thoroughness
• Willingness to travel to customer sites (50% time)

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls.  Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

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We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.