R&D Technician Cambridge, MA

Morse Corp.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 34,440 - 48,216; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site work

Job summary

MORSE Corp seeks a skilled R&D Technician to fabricate, assemble, and support airframes and components for unmanned aerial systems. This on-site role may involve travel for flight testing, working with engineers to design, build, test, and fly UAS platforms.

The ideal candidate has fiberglass fabrication expertise, strong finishing skills, and a track record documenting fabrication processes. You will collaborate with technicians and management to deliver mission-critical assemblies on time.

Qualifications

• Experience fabricating and modifying fiberglass assemblies for aircraft or watercraft is required.
• Expertise with adhesives, surface prep, and joining plastic, wood, composite, and metal parts.
• Finish assemblies with hand sanding and painting to spec.
• Experience creating manufacturing aids (jigs/fixtures) for repeatable results.
• Strong written/verbal communication; able to document fabrication steps clearly.

Responsibilities

• Modify COTS airframes to accommodate custom avionics and payloads.
• Fabricate, assemble, install, repair, and align parts across materials.
• Document first article fabrication and routine maintenance activities.
• Perform functional tests and checks to verify system performance.
• Refine processes to improve throughput and quality.
• Coordinate with engineering and facilities on needs and issues.
• Collaborate with team while meeting cost and schedule constraints.

Skills

Fiberglass fabrication

Adhesive bonding

Finishing & painting

Documentation & processes

Communication

Physical endurance

Hand tool operation

Tools

SolidWorks

3D printing/additive manufacturing

Electrical test equipment

Metalworking tools

Job description

MORSE Corp is an employee owned, small business based in Cambridge, MA, Arlington, VA, and Seattle, WA with a history of fielding cutting‑edge technology. MORSE boasts a specially selected team of scientists, engineers, and software developers to deliver best‑in‑class technical solutions that solve difficult multidisciplinary problems faced by the US National Security Ecosystem.

We are seeking a skilled R&D Technician to join our team, responsible for performing fabrication, and assembly, and of airframes and components for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). In this role, you will work collaboratively with engineers and technicians to design, build, test, and fly UAS systems. This role is fully onsite and may require travel to support flight testing.

Responsibilities:

• Perform modifications to a COTS airframe to incorporate custom avionics and payloads
• Perform fabrication, assembly, installation, repair, replacement, adjustment, and alignment of metallic, wood, plastic, and composite parts and components
• Document first article fabrication and maintenance activities, including inspections, repairs, and component replacements
• Conduct functional tests and operational checks following assembly or repair to verify proper system functionality and performance
• Refine existing processes for better throughput and improved quality
• Communicate with engineering and facilities staff in writing and verbally to convey needs, status, and issues
• Collaborate with technicians, engineers, and management on appropriate technical solution while conforming to cost and time constraints

Requirements

• Expertise fabricating and modifying fiberglass assemblies to include cutting/trimming, adhesive bonding, and fastening (demonstrated experience on automobiles or watercraft is a plus)
• Expertise with adhesive systems, to include surface preparation, and joining plastic, wood, composite, and metallic components
• Expertise finishing assemblies to include hand sanding and painting
• Experience developing manufacturing aids (jigs, fixtures) to ensure fitment and repeatable results
• Experience with hand tools including rotary cutting/sanding, drills, taps, torque wrenches, power tools, and air tools
• Strong written and verbal communicator and demonstrated experience pioneering fabrication/assembly on the fly and documenting processes
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lb

Additional Desired Skills

• Model radio‑controlled aircraft fabrication and hobby flying experience
• Experience with 3D modeling in SolidWorks
• Exposure to 3D additive manufacturing technology
• Experience working with composites, either wet layup or prepreg materials
• Machinist and welding skills with ability to interpret engineering drawings with geometric distancing and tolerancing (GD&T)
• Experience building wire harnesses (stripping, crimping, and bundling) and experience soldering
• Experience with electrical debug & fault isolation using basic electrical test equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, isolation testers)
• Ambition to be mentored by colleagues to acquire additional skills and garner more responsibility of the full system fabrication

MORSE Corp’s pay range for this role carefully considers a wide range of compensation factors, including but not limited to, prior experience, education, skills and expertise, location, internal equity, and other factors that are job related and consistent with business need. Therefore, final offer amounts may vary from the amount stated.

Compensation

$25 - $35 USD

As set forth in MORSE Corp’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

We focus on steady, long‑term success with an emphasis on exceptionalism and delivering mission‑critical impact to our customers. For more information, please visit www.morsecorp.com .