Manufacturing Team Lead

Draganfly Innovations • Merrifield, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Draganfly Inc. is seeking a Manufacturing Team Lead for their Merrifield facility. This role involves leading a small prototyping/production team of two Manufacturing Technicians while remaining hands-on at the bench. The Team Lead will set the daily plan, ensure builds stay on schedule and meet quality standards, and act as a liaison between the team and engineers, translating technical requests into actionable tasks. This is a first-line leadership position for individuals with prior technician experience ready to take on team responsibility. The role includes building, testing, and troubleshooting alongside the technicians. The position is based in Merrifield, Virginia, with occasional travel for onsite support at events.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED, with relevant hands-on skills or equivalent practical experience.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Plan, assign, and sequence the daily and weekly work of a two-person technician team to meet production schedules.
• 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.
• Work directly with engineers to understand one-off technical tasks and turn them into clear build instructions for the team.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• 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).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED