Senior Drone Lab Technician

Xtend; Tampa (FL); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

You will lead daily lab operations, diagnose failures, and work with engineers, flight operations, and program teams to execute test plans, improving reliability for real-world deployments.

Qualifications

• 3+ years hands-on experience building drones or RC systems
• Strong background in electronic components and wiring, soldering and rework
• Experience performing lab work, system testing, diagnostics, and quality control
• Familiarity with RF and communication components
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with engineering and production teams

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of technicians in the assembly, integration, and maintenance of drone systems and related platforms
• Support engineering teams with prototype development, system integration, and testing
• Perform laboratory testing, diagnostics, debugging, and troubleshooting of mechanical, electrical, RF, and software-related issues
• Execute quality control (QC) procedures to ensure systems meet internal and customer standards
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient lab environment
• Document processes, test results, and technical findings as required
• Interface with engineers to resolve design, integration, or production issues

Skills

Drones

Electronics

Soldering

Mechanical assembly

Lab testing

Diagnostics

Quality control

RF components

Team collaboration

Independent work

Tools

Priority ERP

Monday.com

Linux basics

Job description

XTEND is building the next-generation robotics and autonomy platform that delivers real-time telemetry, command-and-control, and advanced data analytics for mission-critical operations. Our end users include military operators, law enforcement units, and public safety teams who rely on robotic systems in high-risk, high-impact environments where milliseconds matter and failure is not an option.

As aSenior Lab Technician, you will be a key enabler of XTEND’s engineering and operations teams, responsible for building, configuring, testing, and maintaining robotic systems and supporting infrastructure. You will support engineering teams during development cycles, help lead daily lab operations, and ensuring systems are mission-ready, test data is reliable, and hardware performs exactly as intended before it ever reaches an operator in the field.

This role sits at the nexus of hardware, software, and operations. You will work closely with engineers, flight operations, and program teams to execute test plans, diagnose failures, and continuously improve system reliability. Your work will translate directly into safer, more effective deployments for end users operating in real-world, high-consequence scenarios.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of technicians in the assembly, integration, and maintenance of drone systems and related platforms
• Support engineering teams with prototype development, system integration, and testing
• Perform laboratory testing, diagnostics, debugging, and troubleshooting of mechanical, electrical, RF, and software-related issues
• Execute quality control (QC) procedures to ensure systems meet internal and customer standards
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient lab environment
• Document processes, test results, and technical findings as required
• Interface with engineers to resolve design, integration, or production issues

Requirements

• Minimum 3+ years of hands-on experience building drones or other RC (remote-controlled) systems
• Strong technical background in: Electronic components and wiring, Soldering and rework, Mechanical assembly and repair
• Experience performing lab work, system testing, diagnostics, and quality control
• Familiarity with RF (radio frequency) and communication components
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with engineering and production teams

Bonus / Preferred Qualifications

• Basic knowledge and operation of Linux-based systems
• Experience with Priority ERP
• Experience using Monday.com or similar project/task management tools
• Experience working with composite materials
• Prior experience supporting R&D, prototypes, or military UAS programs
• Team leadership or lab ownership experience