Hands-On Manufacturing Lead – UAV Prototyping & Assembly

Draganfly Inc.; Merrifield (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Coverage Reimbursement

401(k) with employer matching

Generous time-off program

Professional development support

Job summary

Draganfly Inc. in Merrifield, Virginia, is seeking a Manufacturing Team Lead to run a two‑person prototyping/production team on site and stay hands‑on at the bench.

You will set daily plans, ensure builds stay on schedule and meet quality standards, and translate one‑off technical requests into buildable work for your team. This first‑line leadership role requires prior hands‑on technician experience and readiness to coach others while continuing to build, test, and troubleshoot alongside the

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED, with relevant hands‑on skills or equivalent practical experience (formal post‑secondary education is not required)
• Experience as a line technician, assembler, or similar hands‑on manufacturing role
• Skilled at soldering small electronics, building wiring harnesses, and common mechanical assembly techniques
• Comfortable reading and following build plans and schematics with a high degree of attention to detail
• Able to organize work, set priorities, and keep a small team on schedule
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work closely with an engineering team
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR (22 CFR 120.62), U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual, due to the export‑controlled nature of the work

Responsibilities

• Plan, assign, and sequence the daily and weekly work of a two‑person technician team to meet production schedules.
• Provide on‑the‑floor direction, training, and coaching, and help technicians grow their skills
• Track team output, quality, and progress, and keep your manager informed of status, risks, and needs
• Handle first‑line people tasks such as timekeeping, scheduling, and day‑to‑day performance feedback
• Set the standard for safety, cleanliness, and consistent workmanship, and hold the team to it
• Support hiring by helping evaluate and onboard new technicians as the team grows
• Work directly with engineers to understand one‑off technical tasks and turn them into clear build instructions for the team
• Judge whether a requested task fits the team’s current skills, tools, and capacity, and flag when it does not
• Provide practical feedback from the floor to improve build plans, work instructions, and processes
• Help capture and maintain manufacturing records, work instructions, and inventory control processes
• Build, test, and troubleshoot prototype and production sUAS alongside your technicians
• Assemble mechanical and electronic components, solder wiring harnesses and PCBs, and finish parts to standard
• Set up and operate CNC machinery, thermoforming equipment, and 3D printers, with on‑site training provided as needed
• Step in to unblock builds, cover gaps, and keep the line moving

Skills

Soldering

Wiring harnesses

Mechanical assembly

Reading schematics

Communication

Team leadership

Quality & safety

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

CNC machinery

3D printers

Thermoforming equipment

ArduPilot

BetaFlight

INAV

QGroundControl

Job description

Draganfly Inc. in Merrifield, Virginia, is seeking a Manufacturing Team Lead to run a two‑person prototyping/production team on site and stay hands‑on at the bench.

You will set daily plans, ensure builds stay on schedule and meet quality standards, and translate one‑off technical requests into buildable work for your team. This first‑line leadership role requires prior hands‑on technician experience and readiness to coach others while continuing to build, test, and troubleshoot alongside the