Lead, UAV Integration Technician

Make-Rain, LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Rainmaker is seeking a Lead UAV Integration Technician to coordinate the build and integration of our aerospace platforms. You will oversee assembly of UAVs, lead technicians, and ensure quality and on-time delivery across production and field testing.

You will draft build procedures, sign off on electrical wiring, and collaborate with engineering to resolve field and design gaps. Travel to support field operations may be required.

Qualifications

• 7+ years hands-on UAV, aerospace, robotics maintenance experience.
• 3+ years leading a technician team.
• Strong mechanical assembly and electrical integration experience.
• Ability to read and create technical drawings, wiring diagrams, and schematics.
• Experience troubleshooting complex mechanical and electrical systems.
• Experience writing or improving build instructions or assembly docs.
• Willingness to travel for field operations and flight testing.
• Attention to detail and craftsmanship; enforce quality standards.
• Ability to coordinate work across multiple technicians in fast-paced env.
• Strong communication to translate field issues to engineering.
• Comfortable owning team output and accountability.
• Must lift up to 50 lbs regularly.
• Familiarity with 3D printers, torque drivers, etc.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate integration efforts across the team to hit production schedules.
• Own the build process from components to complete UAV systems.
• Draft and maintain build procedures and wiring diagrams.
• Lead electrical integration quality and sign off on work.
• Communicate field and build gaps to engineering and stakeholders.
• Train and develop technicians; onboard new integration staff.
• Drive quality inspection standards for parts and final assembly.
• Improve production processes and capture lessons learned for scaling.
• Manage parts, tooling, and shop resources with supply chain.
• Escalate blockers and ensure safety standards are followed.

Skills

UAV maintenance

Team leadership

Electrical integration

Mechanical assembly

Technical drawings

Root cause analysis

Field testing

Safety compliance

Strong communication

Production coordination

Tools

3D printers

Torque drivers

Multimeters

Machining (3/5 axis)

Job description

Rainmaker is pioneering a modern cloud seeding system to solve water scarcity and inclement weather problems. We develop and incorporate radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, numerical weather modeling, and sustainable cloud seeds into an effective precipitation enhancement solution.

The Production team at Rainmaker builds our UAS platforms, assembles dispersion payloads, and integrates in-situ/remote sensing systems into every vehicle we deliver. As a Lead, UAV Integration Technician, you'll be on the front line of keeping our fleet mission-ready — executing maintenance work instructions with speed and precision to get aircraft back in the field. If you thrive in a hands-on, fast-paced environment where your work has a direct, immediate impact on mission success, this is a great opportunity.

• Coordinate integration efforts. Assign and sequence build tasks across the integration team to hit production schedules and delivery deadlines.

• Own the build process. Oversee assembly of UAVs from individual components into complete systems, ensuring each aircraft meets quality and workmanship standards before leaving production.

• Draft and maintain build procedures. Write, standardize, and update assembly work instructions, wiring diagrams, and integration checklists to ensure consistency and repeatability across builds.

• Lead electrical integration quality. Set standards for wiring harness construction, electrical assemblies, and connection troubleshooting; review and sign off on completed work.

• Communicate field and build gaps. Surface recurring issues, design flaws, or integration challenges seen during assembly or field testing to engineering and program stakeholders.

• Train and develop technicians. Onboard new integration techs, train the team on new components, configurations, or procedures, and build cross-training across mechanical/electrical skill sets.

• Drive quality inspection standards. Establish and enforce incoming parts inspection and final assembly QA processes to catch issues before aircraft reach the field.

• Improve production processes. Identify inefficiencies in the build process, lead process improvement initiatives, and capture lessons learned from each build to improve future ones as production scales.

• Manage parts and tooling. Coordinate with supply chain on parts availability and lead times; oversee tooling, 3D printers, machining equipment, and shop resources used in integration.

• Escalate and resolve blockers. Act as the point of escalation for technical, resourcing, or scheduling issues the integration team can't resolve independently.

• Enforce safety standards. Ensure all integration and field activities follow shop safety procedures and best practices for tool and equipment use.

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in UAV, aerospace, robotics, or similar mechanical/electrical maintenance environments

• 3+ years experience leading a technician team

• Strong experience with mechanical assembly and electrical integration

• Ability to read, interpret, and create technical drawings, wiring diagrams, and schematics

• Proven experience troubleshooting complex mechanical and electrical systems

• Experience writing or improving work instructions, build procedures, or assembly documentation

• Willingness to travel and support field operations and flight testing

• Strong attention to detail and craftsmanship, with the judgment to enforce quality standards across a team

• Ability to prioritize and coordinate work across multiple technicians in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate field/build issues into clear feedback for engineering and leadership

• Comfortable taking ownership of team output and driving accountability

• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs regularly

• Familiarity with basic shop safety procedures, with experience enforcing safety standards for a team

• Familiarity with the use of 3D printers

• Familiarity with the use of torque drivers, power supplies, multimeters, and other diagnostic/hand tools

• Experience machining on 3 and 5 axis machines

• Experience with root cause analysis or corrective action processes

• Familiarity with production tracking, quality management, or maintenance documentation systems

• Experience scaling or standardizing processes in an early-stage or high-growth manufacturing environment