Description
About The Role:The Manufacturing Team Lead runs the day-to-day work of a small prototyping/production team at our Merrifield facility, currently two Manufacturing Technicians, while staying hands-on at the bench. You will set the daily plan, keep builds moving on schedule and to quality standards, and serve as the direct link between your team and our engineers, translating one-off technical requests into clear, buildable work that fits your team's skills and toolset.
This is a first-line leadership role built for someone who has previous experience as a technician and is ready to take responsibility for a team. You will still build, test, and troubleshoot alongside your technicians. It is in-person at our manufacturing facility in Merrifield, Virginia, with occasional travel to provide onsite technical or operational support at events.
Key Responsibilities: Team Leadership
- Plan, assign, and sequence the daily and weekly work of a two-person technician team to meet production schedules. This team leadership role will grow over time.
- 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
Engineering Collaboration
- Work directly with engineers to understand one-off technical tasks and turn them into clear build instructions for the team. These could be related to production or prototyping efforts.
- 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
Hands-On Production
- 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
Who are you really?- You have done hands-on technician or assembly work and are ready to step into your first leadership role
- You take ownership, when the team's work is late, off-spec, or unsafe, you treat it as yours to fix
- You communicate clearly with both technicians and engineers, and you are comfortable being the link between them
- You are organized and calm under pressure, and you can keep several builds and priorities moving at once
- You lead by example on quality, safety, and cleanliness, and people follow your standard
- You enjoy teaching, and you get satisfaction from seeing your team improve
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
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience leading, training, or acting as a lead for even a small group of people
- Experience setting up and troubleshooting radio control and data transmission devices
- Familiarity with software used to configure and operate UAS, such as ArduPilot, BetaFlight, INAV, or QGroundControl
- Experience with CNC milling, 3D printing (FDM or SLA), or composite and thermoforming processes
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, or the ability to obtain one
- Familiarity with basic inventory, quality, or production-tracking systems
Compensation Package:- Competitive salary: $70,000 - 92,000 USD
- Health Coverage Reimbursement: We reimburse the cost of your existing or preferred healthcare plan (amount varies depending on family size).
- 401(k) program with employer matching
- Generous time-off program, including vacation, wellness days, and the week off between Christmas and New Year's.
- Professional development support, including assistance in obtaining or maintaining role-relevant certifications (e.g., FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, where applicable)
Compensation
$70,000.00 - $92,000.00 per year
