Engineering Technician

KH Aerospace•Hayward, CA

21d•Onsite

About The Position

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace (KHA) is an aerospace company specializing in long-endurance unmanned aerial platforms for a wide variety of industries. KHA supports a number of customers to carry out missions involving aerial reconnaissance, survey, communication relay and communications provisioning. Endurance, enabled by effective design, is key to these applications and KHA aircraft utilize cutting-edge aircraft design together with on-board intelligence to deliver value for these customers. Kraus Hamdani Aerospace is seeking a motivated and hands-on Engineering Technician to support the development, prototyping, assembly, testing, and production transition of our Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This role is ideal for someone who enjoys practical engineering work and is comfortable operating in an environment where designs, processes, and work instructions may still be evolving. Unlike a traditional production technician role focused primarily on established build procedures, the Engineering Technician will work closely with Engineering and Manufacturing to interpret technical information, solve hands-on build challenges, support new product introductions, and help translate developing designs into repeatable manufacturing processes. The successful candidate will support both internal production and the transfer of manufacturing capability to external manufacturing partners. This will include periodic travel to suppliers and contract manufacturing locations to support production launches, troubleshooting, training, and process implementation.

Requirements

Hands-on engineering or technical experience in a prototype, manufacturing, aerospace, robotics, electromechanical, or similar environment.
Demonstrated mechanical and electrical aptitude with strong hands-on troubleshooting skills.
Experience performing mechanical assembly, fabrication, integration, wiring, bonding, or similar technical work.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, technical documentation, work instructions, and assembly procedures.
Ability to work effectively when technical information or manufacturing processes are still evolving and use sound judgment to resolve problems.
Competent using hand tools, power tools, and common workshop equipment safely and effectively.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality workmanship.
Ability to work independently, take ownership of tasks, and drive problems through resolution.
Effective communication skills and ability to work within a multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing team.
Ability and willingness to travel approximately 25%, with the potential for more concentrated travel during manufacturing launches or major production transitions.
Associate degree, technical diploma, apprenticeship, military technical training, or equivalent practical experience in engineering, manufacturing, aerospace, electronics, mechanical systems, or a related field.
U.S. citizenship.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government SECRET security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting prototype builds, NPI, low-rate production, or transition from development into manufacturing.
Experience with UAS, aerospace systems, robotics, autonomous systems, or other complex electromechanical products.
Experience with electrical assembly, wiring harnesses, crimping, or soldering.
Experience with composite materials, bonding, or lightweight aerospace structures.
Experience operating or maintaining 3D printers, CNC equipment, or other prototyping/manufacturing equipment.
Familiarity with CAD-generated documentation and Bills of Materials.
Experience supporting suppliers or contract manufacturing partners.
FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
Model aircraft, RC aircraft, drone, robotics, or similar hands-on technical hobby experience.
Military technical experience.

Responsibilities

Support the prototyping, fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing of UAS hardware and related equipment.
Perform mechanical and electrical assembly, bonding, wiring, integration, and other hands-on technical tasks to a high standard.
Work from engineering drawings, CAD-generated documentation, Bills of Materials (BOMs), work instructions, assembly procedures, and other technical data.
Support development and first-build activities where designs or manufacturing processes may not yet be fully defined.
Exercise technical judgment and problem-solving skills to identify and resolve build, assembly, integration, and manufacturability issues.
Identify and communicate design, manufacturing, assembly, or documentation issues to Engineering and Manufacturing.
Provide practical feedback to improve product designs, manufacturability, assembly processes, and production documentation.
Support the transition of new and revised designs from Engineering into repeatable production processes.
Support new product introduction (NPI) activities and implementation of new aircraft features, assemblies, and manufacturing processes.
Assist with the development, fabrication, evaluation, and implementation of manufacturing aids, jigs, fixtures, and production tooling.
Support development and refinement of manufacturing work instructions and assembly procedures based on hands-on build experience.
Assist with troubleshooting and validation during initial production builds and process changes.
Help establish repeatable build methods that can be transitioned to Manufacturing Technicians and external production partners.
Support the transfer of KHA manufacturing processes, technical documentation, tooling, and build knowledge to contract manufacturing partners.
Travel to supplier and contract manufacturing sites as required to assist with production launches, technical troubleshooting, process implementation, and training.
Work collaboratively with external manufacturing personnel to resolve build issues and ensure manufacturing processes are executed in accordance with KHA technical requirements.
Provide feedback to KHA Engineering and Manufacturing regarding issues identified during external production activities.
Work closely with design engineers, manufacturing engineers, technicians, quality personnel, and other technical staff to support product development and production.
Participate in design, build, and manufacturing reviews, contributing practical engineering and production insight.
Support continuous improvement initiatives related to product quality, manufacturability, production efficiency, and technical documentation.