Lead, UAV Integration Technician Hardware

Front Door Defense; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) with employer matching

Full health coverage

Relocation assistance

Unlimited PTO

Paid parental leave

Lunch provided in-office

EV charging at HQ

Job summary

Rainmaker is seeking a Lead, UAV Integration Technician in El Segundo, CA to lead the integration team and drive on-time production of field-ready UAVs. You will oversee assembly, wiring, and quality checks while developing build procedures and training junior technicians.

Responsibilities include coordinating tasks, improving build processes, and ensuring safety standards. Travel to support field operations and flight testing may be required. Compensation ranges from $100k to $130k per year.

Qualifications

• 7+ years hands-on UAV/aerospace/robotics maintenance experience
• 3+ years leading a technician team
• Strong experience with mechanical assembly and electrical integration
• Ability to read, interpret, and create technical drawings and schematics
• Proven experience troubleshooting complex mechanical and electrical systems
• Experience writing or improving work instructions or assembly documentation
• Willingness to travel and support field operations and flight testing
• Comfortable enforcing safety standards for a team

Responsibilities

• Coordinate integration efforts to hit production schedules and deadlines
• Oversee UAV assembly from components to complete systems
• Draft and maintain build procedures and wiring diagrams
• Lead electrical integration quality and sign off on work
• Identify field/build gaps and relay issues to engineering
• Train and develop technicians and cross-train on skills
• Enforce safety standards across all integration activities
• Drive process improvement to scale production
• Manage parts, tooling, and shop resources
• Escalate blockers when needed to keep timelines on track
• Ensure quality inspections before aircraft reach the field

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Strong communication

Reading technical drawings

Quality focus

Problem solving

Tools

3D printing

Torque drivers

Multimeters

Machining (3-5 axis)

Job description

Lead, UAV Integration Technician

Lead UAV integration team to deliver field-ready aircraft on production schedule

Location: El Segundo, California

Compensation: $100,000 - 130,000 USD / year

About The Role

Lead, Uav Integration Technician

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.

What You'll Do

• 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.

Required Qualifications

• 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

Preferred Qualifications

• 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

Benefits

• Significant stock options with high potential upside as an early-stage company
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Full health coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance)
• Relocation assistance provided (if applicable)
• Unlimited PTO
• Paid parental leave for both parents
• Lunch provided when working in-office and a fully stocked kitchenette
• Free EV charging at the HQ

$100,000 - $130,000 a year