R & D Technician

Hadrian Automation
Los Angeles, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for hands-on technical professionals who build and iterate on manufacturing processes, with experience in welding, cutting, or assembly, and who thrive in fast-moving R&D environments.

Best fit for

  • Hands-on technicians with experience in welding, cutting, or assembly who enjoy process development and innovation
    — “hands-on experience in one or more of: laser cutting, resistance/spot welding, hand soldering, or water jet operation”
  • Candidates who can take ownership of safety protocols and work in ambiguous, evolving environments
    — “Comfort operating in an ambiguous, fast-moving R&D or NPI environment where processes aren't fully defined yet”
  • Individuals who excel at training others and adapting to new tools and processes as capabilities expand
    — “Willingness to cross-train into new processes and tools as capability needs shift”

Things to consider

  • U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required due to ITAR export regulations
    — “must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual”
  • The role involves a significant amount of cross-functional collaboration with engineers and other teams
    — “Partner with process and manufacturing engineers to iterate on new processes and NPI builds”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience in building and documenting repeatable manufacturing processes
    — “Document setup, process parameters, and key learnings to support eventual handoff to production”
  • Emphasize your ability to troubleshoot and solve problems on the shop floor independently
    — “Strong troubleshooting instincts and a bias toward figuring things out on the shop floor”
  • Showcase prior work in R&D or NPI environments at companies like SpaceX or similar high-tech manufacturers
    — “R&D experience at SpaceX or a similar company working on NPI programs (e.g., Starship)”
  • Demonstrate your adaptability by emphasizing past experience with multiple concurrent programs
    — “Experience supporting multiple concurrent programs with shifting priorities”
  • Include examples of training others on new equipment or processes
    — “A track record of helping less experienced technicians ramp up on new equipment”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • supported development activities for new capability introduction
  • operated and troubleshooted new equipment
  • documented setup steps and process parameters
Typical background
hands-on experience in manufacturing processes

Skills & requirements

Required

Laser-cuttingResistance-weldingHand-solderingWater-jet-operationAssembly

Preferred

RoboticsNpi-processes

Stack & domain

Laser CuttingResistance WeldingHand SolderingWater Jet OperationGeneral AssemblyRoboticsAIAdvanced SoftwareAutonomous FactoriesTroubleshootingDocumentationCross-trainingTeamworkAerospaceDefenseManufacturing

About the role

Original posting from Hadrian Automation via Ashby

HADRIAN - MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

The Role:

As Hadrian takes on larger, more complex integrated assemblies, critical lifts involving cranes and heavy rigging are becoming a core part of how we build. We're looking for a Lift Specialist to stand up our rigging workcenter from the ground up: scoping the cranes and lift fixtures we need, building the training and certification program for the team, and partnering with Build Engineering to define safe, repeatable processes for every critical lift. This is a hands-on, build-it-from-zero role for someone who wants to own rigging and lift safety across Hadrian's factories.

What You’ll Do

  • Support development activities tied to new capability introduction at FX, including laser cutting, resistance welding, hand soldering, water jet operation, and general assembly.
  • Operate, troubleshoot, and help bring online new equipment as it's landed on the factory floor.
  • Partner with process and manufacturing engineers to iterate on new processes and NPI builds.
  • Document setup, process parameters, and key learnings to support eventual handoff to production.
  • Cross-train across capability areas as the FX R&D Technician team consolidates and grows.

What We’re Looking For

  • Hands-on experience in one or more of: laser cutting, resistance/spot welding, hand soldering, or water jet operation.
  • Comfort operating in an ambiguous, fast-moving R&D or NPI environment where processes aren't fully defined yet.
  • Strong troubleshooting instincts and a bias toward figuring things out on the shop floor.
  • Ability to clearly document setup steps and process parameters for others to follow.
  • Willingness to cross-train into new processes and tools as capability needs shift.

What Will Set You Apart

  • R&D experience at SpaceX or a similar company working on NPI programs (e.g., Starship), including hand laser welding, spot welding, laser cutting, or robot operations.
  • Experience supporting multiple concurrent programs with shifting priorities.
  • Familiarity with hand-held laser welders and general assembly work in addition to core joining/cutting processes.
  • A track record of helping less experienced technicians ramp up on new equipment..

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range may vary based on experience.

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

BENEFITS FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
  • 401k
  • Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
  • Flexible vacation policy
  • Equity

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987.

USE OF AI IN HIRING

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy https://www.hadrian.co/privacy-policy.

HADRIAN IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Source: Hadrian Automation careers (Ashby)

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