About this Senior Electrical Engineer role at Make Rain
Make it rain. Make Snow. Make Earth Habitable.
Rainmaker builds and deploys audacious technologies that work with nature to create an abundant, habitable planet. We are modernizing proven cloud-seeding science with weather-resistant UAS, radar and satellite observations, numerical weather prediction, novel sensing and validation systems, and sustainable seeding technologies. We are building an integrated system to make more freshwater available to farms, ecosystems, and communities.
Our ambition is bold, but we pursue it with humility. We take on difficult problems in the real world with technical rigor, grit, integrity, and an openness to learning and course-correcting. We are hiring individuals with evidence of exceptional ability. If you want to build systems that endure, restore, and provide, and help deliver the future we were promised, we want to hear from you.
The Engineering team at Rainmaker works on our UAS, dispersion payload, and in-situ/remote sensing systems. If you are interested in working in an extremely innovative and fast paced environment, where your work directly makes an impact and difference in our operational system, this is a fantastic opportunity.
What You'll Do
System Design: Lead the architecture and design of complex electrical systems for hardware platforms, defining system-level requirements, interface specifications, and integration strategies.
Rapid Hardware Prototyping: Design and build functional prototypes for hardware subsystems, iterating quickly based on test feedback and mission requirements.
PCB Design: Create schematic and layouts for power distribution, sensor interfaces, payload controllers and communication modules using Altium.
Board Bringup and Testing: Assemble, debug, and validate new PCBs; develop test procedures and fixtures to verify functionality and reliability under flight conditions.
Documentation: Write technical documentation, prepare fabrication and assembly data for manufacturers.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Mechanical engineers, software engineers, research and manufacturing
What We're Looking For
Bachelors in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or significant demonstrated technical ability and professional experience (6+ years of industry work in a related electronics field)
4+ years of professional PCB design experience with Altium (or equivalent), including products developed with digital, mixed-signal, and analog front-end designs.
Proven track record leading hardware designs from concept through manufacturing, including DFM/DFT and working directly with contract manufacturers.
Deep experience with embedded platforms and microcontrollers (Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, STM32, ESP32, RP2040).
Experience with high-speed digital design, power integrity, signal integrity, and EMI/EMC considerations.
Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and lead technical reviews
Embedded programming experience (C++, C, Rust, or Python), including board bring-up, debugging, and low-level driver development for sensors, communication interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN), and real-time control loops.
What Will Set You Apart
Experience designing PCBs and electrical systems capable of sustaining 10kW loads.
Experience bringing UAV electrical systems from concept through flight test and production
Experience designing power electronics, including BLDC motor controllers, ESCs, and battery management systems (BMS)
Familiarity with flight controllers such as Pixhawk, ArduPilot, or custom autopilot hardware
Hands-on experience with lithium polymer (LiPo), lithium-ion, and solid-state battery integration and safety
Knowledge of RF systems, including datalinks, telemetry radios, SATCOM, and antenna integration
