Engineering Technician

Heron Power; Scotts Valley (CA); On-site; USD 48,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Heron Power Inc. is seeking an Engineering Technician to support rapid prototyping, lab test setups, and hands-on assembly across electrical, mechanical, and electromechanical systems. You will lead lab process deployment and drive fixture builds, test and troubleshooting through the engineering lifecycle.

You will collaborate with engineering, reliability, test and operations, documenting learnings and driving incremental product improvements while maintaining safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Proven hands-on technical assembly, fabrication, troubleshooting across electrical/mechanical/electromechanical systems.
• Experience in teardown, diagnostic and troubleshooting of complex manufactured assemblies.
• Familiarity with hand and power tools, soldering/rework stations, lab equipment.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams to translate designs into builds.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build, assemble and modify prototype units and sub-assemblies from drawings and instructions (PCBA, mechanical, electromechanical).
• Fabricate and prepare test fixtures, wire harnesses and cable assemblies with hand tools and soldering equipment.
• Set up and operate lab test equipment for validation and performance characterization.
• Perform mechanical fabrication such as drilling, cutting, bending to support prototypes.
• Tear down and troubleshoot complex assemblies to identify root causes.
• Collaborate with engineering/reliability/test to develop prototype processes and playbooks.
• Document learnings, analyze data and communicate findings to drive product changes.
• Maintain lab equipment and calibration schedules.

Skills

Hands-on troubleshooting

Schematic reading

Prototype assembly

Cross-functional collaboration

Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

Tools

Oscilloscope

Multimeter

Power analyzers

HP/bench tools

Soldering/rework stations

Job description

What to Expect

Heron Power is a startup company building cutting-edge power electronics for the 21st-century grid. We aim to debottleneck the growth of electricity generation and consumption with scalable, innovative, and less costly hardware solutions, accelerating the electrification of everything.

Our first focus goal is to build better converters (inverters & rectifiers) to connect large-scale renewables, storage, and loads to the grid. Heron’s leadership team is made up of seasoned veterans who have designed and shipped gigawatts of power conversion products over the past decade.

We understand that no one individual knows everything. We will all learna lottogether and from each other. We strive to build a collaborative, enriching environment conducive to personal, technical, and career growth. You can expect to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment, driven by first principles engineering, solving difficult problems.

Job Overview

We are looking for a skilled Engineering Technician to support rapid prototyping, engineering builds, lab test setups and reworks across electrical, mechanical and electromechanical assemblies. This role is hands-on and essential to ensuring the reliability and quality of our product. You will lead the deployment of R&D lab processes and drive hands-on fabrication, assembly, test and troubleshooting of new products and product variants through all phases of the engineering lifecycle. Your technical and timely feedback to the engineering team is pivotal to drive product improvements and advancements with specific attention to safety, quality and reliability. This role is versatile in nature and welcomes innovative, outside-of-the-box thinking to drive excellence in our products.

How You Will Contribute

• Build, assemble and modify prototype units and sub-assemblies from engineering drawings, schematics and verbal instructions — spanning PCBA, mechanical, and electromechanical work

• Fabricate and prepare test fixtures, wire harnesses and cable assemblies using hand tools, crimp tools, and soldering equipment

• Set up, configure and operate lab test equipment and instrumentation for engineering validation, environmental testing and performance characterization

• Perform mechanical fabrication tasks including drilling, cutting, grinding, bending and light sheet metal modification to support prototype and fixture builds

• Tear down, diagnose and troubleshoot complex manufactured assemblies to identify failure modes and root causes

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (including engineering, reliability, test and operations) to develop processes for prototype builds, test, failure mode identification and troubleshooting playbooks through various experimental setups and systems

• Document learnings and failure modes, analyze data and communicate findings to cross-functional teams to drive product changes into future builds and execute incremental improvements

• Maintain lab equipment, tooling, and test infrastructure in a state of good repair; support calibration and preventive maintenance schedules

What You Will Bring

We have a short list of must-have requirements. We prioritize a strong grip on first principles, hands-on skills, and a sense of initiative. Domain-specific knowledge and experience will help determine the career level for each hire.

Must Have Requirements

• Proven track record of hands-on technical assembly, fabrication, troubleshooting and diagnostic experience across electrical, mechanical or electromechanical systems

• Experience in teardown, diagnostic and troubleshooting of complex manufactured assemblies

• Familiarity and experience using hand and power tools (drills, saws, grinders), soldering/rework stations, and common lab equipment

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams and work instructions to translate designs into physical builds

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and take complete ownership of change management through various product iterations and experiments

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs., with frequent standing, walking and bending

Nice to Haves

• Demonstrated strong electrical aptitude and experience with electronic assemblies and PCBAs

• Experience with power electronics measurement equipment — oscilloscopes, multimeters, power analyzers, hipot testers

• Experience building wire harnesses, cable assemblies, or wiring test setups for motor controls and instrumentation

• 3D Printing, CNC, Laser Cutting, Milling/Drilling, CATIA, SolidWorks experience a plus

• Experience in PCB rework, sheet metal fabrication, or mechanical prototyping

• IPC soldering certification (e.g., IPC-A-610, J-STD) a plus

• Prior experience in an R&D, NPI or similar rapid-iteration environment preferred

If you are passionate about technology and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, we would love to hear from you. Join us in accelerating the electrification of everything at Heron Power.

Heron Power provides competitive compensation (salary and equity) and benefits. The salary for this role ranges from $35-50 per hour.