Prototype Engineer

Job DescriptionU.S. Persons Only | On-Site in San Francisco, CAW-2 Employment | 4-Month Role (Through End of 2026) | Immediate Start PreferredMara is building a horde of small, autonomous robots to defend the free world. Our first product, Spike, is a portable counter-drone swarm that stops deadly drone attacks.We are looking for non-stop builders with a need to be challenged beyond their capabilities daily. If you can’t wait to contribute to the defense of human liberty, apply.The roleWe're building a fleet of C-UAS drones and systems: hardware that has to work the first time, every time, because the people relying on it are standing under the same sky as the threats it's built to stop. We need someone who can take a pile of parts, turn it into a functioning aircraft, and then tell us exactly why the one that didn't work, didn't.This is not a production line job. Our aircraft change between batches, sometimes between builds, because the engineering team is iterating in real time, not repeating a fixed process. You'll be building small batches of aircraft working directly alongside the engineers who designed them, catching what breaks before it ships, and helping shape how the next batch gets built.What you'll doAssemble 3D-printed components into the airframeInstall propulsion (motors, ESCs, props) and verify thrust and direction before it goes on the aircraftFabricate and install power and signal harnesses: crimp, solder, label, strain-relieve, and verify continuityInstall and site avionics and RF: flight controller, GPS, telemetry radio, RC receiver, and antennasLoad and verify flight controller firmware and parameter sets for each airframe configurationRun functional checkout before drones leave for testingTroubleshoot to the component level and fix it: bad crimps, components with no power, or outdated parametersInspect and rebuild drones after flight and after crashesMaintain maintenance logs and track which tail number has had what work or modifications done to itWrite down what you did so the next build goes fasterWhat we're looking forDemonstrated hands-on experience building and troubleshooting aircraft, drones, or comparable electro- mechanical hardware. Professional experience, a university team, or your own garage all count. Show us what you've built.Comfortable working from a BOM, drawing, and specStrong soldering skills, at every scale. You'll be soldering everything from heavy power leads down to fine- gauge signal wire, including GPS antenna leads and pogo-pin connections, and we expect clean, consistent joints at that small gauge, not just on the easy stuff.Basic electrical troubleshooting with a multimeterA figure-it-out attitude. We need someone who reads the datasheet, tries something, and iterates, rather than waiting to be told.No degree required. Students, recent grads, career changers, and self-taught builders are encouraged to apply. If you can do the work, we don't care how you learned it.Nice to haveNone of these are required. Any of them will get our attention.RC aircraft design, build, or flying experienceFAA Part 107, or willingness to get itPrior aerospace or defense hardware experienceMara is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will always hire folks from any and every backgroundand lived experience, because we know that’s how the strongest teams in the world are built.Empowerment, equity, and liberation bring strength, resilience, and growth; which is why webelieve in the vigorous defense, and continuous improvement, of the free nations of the world.