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Senior Mechanical Engineer

Rainmaker· Technology
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El Segundo, CA$120k - $150kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Rainmaker is developing a modern cloud seeding system with radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, numerical weather modeling, and sustainable cloud seeds. The Engineering team focuses on UAS, dispersion payload, and in-situ/remote sensing systems. This role owns mechanical hardware from concept through production, collaborating to solve design challenges, build/test prototypes, and deliver reliable systems.

Responsibilities

  • Project Ownership: Personally own select parts/subsystems from concept to production, including UAS structures, dispersion payload hardware, and field-emplaced infrastructure.
  • Technical Direction: Set design standards and review FEA/CAD work across the team; make final calls on technical trade-offs for your group's subsystems.
  • Rapid Hardware Prototyping: Design and build functional prototypes, iterating quickly based on test feedback and mission requirements.
  • Test Fixture Design: Conceptualize, design, build, and run test fixtures for prototype components.
  • FEA: Define loading/boundary conditions, run and validate studies (linear static, linear dynamic, nonlinear dynamic, thermal); review team output for quality.
  • Documentation: Write technical documentation and prepare fabrication/assembly data packages for manufacturers.

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of mechanical engineering experience in hardware development with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field — or equivalent practical experience in lieu of a degree, including direct experience on UAV/UAS platforms (airframe, payload integration, or flight-critical structures)
  • Excellence in parametric CAD (SolidWorks required)
  • Strong FEA experience: linear static, linear dynamic, nonlinear dynamic, thermal
  • Hands-on rapid prototyping experience: FDM, SLA, MJF, CO2 laser, fiber laser, press brake
  • Significant composites experience — layup, tooling, and design for manufacturing with composite materials — in addition to sheet metal, molded polymers, and ceramic component design/manufacturing
  • Demonstrated experience taking designs from prototype to production
  • Demonstrated understanding of designing for staged scaling of a product, including staffing and process scaling as team size grows

Skills

Required:CAD (SolidWorks)FEARapid prototypingComposites manufacturingPrototype to production transitionDesign for scaling
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Rainmaker

Make rain. Make snow. Make droughts end.

Rainmaker uses drone-based cloud seeding to increase rainfall, restore ecosystems, and fight drought. Learn how our scalable weather technology brings water to the West.

cloud seeding companyweather modificationdrone cloud seedingrainfall enhancementdrought solutions
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