Electromechanical Technician – Wildfire Drone Manufacturing
Seneca · Sausalito
Fire is coming. Help us build the machines that fight back.
More than 115 million Americans live in homes threatened by wildfire. Fire seasons are getting longer, hotter, and more destructive, and the tools for fighting them haven't kept pace. Seneca is changing that with autonomous drones and sensors that detect and suppress wildfires early, before small fires become catastrophic ones.
Every one of those aircraft is built by hand, and the last hands it passes through before it heads into the field belong to our production technicians. We're looking for an Electronics Technician who wants to be one of them.
The Role
You'll be the person who turns a kit of parts into a flight-ready aircraft. You'll assemble and seal the enclosures, torque every fastener to spec, build and route the harnesses, then power it up, test it, and sign off that it's ready for one of the toughest jobs there is. When something doesn't work, you'll figure out why. When something could be built better, you'll walk over to the engineering team and tell them, and they'll listen.
If you notice a pinched gasket or a half-seated connector from across the room, keep a tidy bench, and get real satisfaction from a build that comes together exactly to the drawing, you'll fit right in.
What You'll Do
Bring drones to life: electromechanical final assembly of avionics enclosures, propulsion, payload, and airframe subsystems, working from work instructions, drawings, and BOMs
Get every fastener right: correct hardware, torque spec, tightening sequence, and thread-locker where called out
Build assemblies that hold up in the field, seating gaskets, O-rings, and connector seals so the electronics inside stay protected
Build clean, reliable harnesses: strip, crimp, terminate, and dress JST, Molex Micro-Fit, JWPF, XT, and other connectors for power and signal
Solder splices, terminations, and repairs when the job calls for it
Put every unit through its paces: pre-power checks, safe power-up, continuity checks, sensor calibration, motor/ESC verification, comms link testing, and configuration on our test stations
Hunt down faults, mechanical or electrical, and figure out whether it's the part, the harness, or the setup
Inspect like it's headed to a fire, because it is: check your work against the drawing and catch defects before they ship
Document serial numbers, torque values, test results, and deviations so every aircraft is fully traceable
Be the voice of the production floor: flag unclear instructions and work with engineering on design-for-assembly and design-for-test improvements
Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions so problems get fixed once, for good
Keep tools, fixtures, test equipment, and workstations organized, calibrated, ESD-safe, and FOD-free
Work safely with LiPo/Li-ion batteries and high-current systems, and help set the bar for safety on the floor
What You Bring
3+ years of hands-on electromechanical assembly, test, or repair. Aerospace, avionics, robotics, EV, medical device, contract manufacturing, and military backgrounds all translate well
Strong mechanical assembly skills: reading drawings, choosing the right hardware, working to torque specs, and fitting precision parts without forcing them
Experience with sealed or waterproof assemblies (gaskets, O-rings, connector seals)
Solid harness skills: stripping, crimping, terminating, and dressing across multiple connector types and gauges
Solid soldering fundamentals for terminations and splices
Comfort reading work instructions, BOMs, assembly drawings, wiring diagrams, and schematics
Fluency with torque drivers, multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and hand tools
A solid grasp of electrical fundamentals and ESD-safe handling of electronics
Serious attention to detail, real discipline around quality and documentation, and the confidence to ask when something doesn't look right
The ability to work independently and juggle multiple builds and tests in a fast-moving environment
Bonus Points
You build, fly, or fix drones, FPV quads, or robots, whether at work or in your garage
Experience with flight controllers, ESCs, motors, and telemetry/comms systems
Component-level PCB/PCBA troubleshooting and SMT rework
IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-A-610, and/or J-STD-001 certification (or working toward it)
Comfort running scripts on a Linux command line (no programming required)
Know-how with LiPo/Li-ion battery systems and safe handling
Background in aerospace, defense, public safety, or another mission-critical industry
Exposure to ERP/MES systems for build documentation and traceability
Familiarity with firefighting, emergency response, or public-safety equipment
Why You'll Love It Here
Your work matters, visibly. The aircraft you build go out to protect homes, forests, and the firefighters on the line
You're not a cog. Your ideas change how we build
Engineering is steps away, not a ticket queue, so you'll help shape what we build next
Backed by top-tier investors and led by a founder who has built a company and taken it public
What We Offer
Competitive Salary – Reflective of your skills and experience
Equity Compensation – Be a part-owner in the company's future
Comprehensive Health Coverage – Medical, dental, and vision plans
Health Savings Account (HSA) – Optional pre-tax savings for medical expenses
Unlimited PTO – Flexible time off to recharge, plus paid company holidays
Physical Requirements
(with or without reasonable accommodation)
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods at a workbench
Manual dexterity sufficient for fine assembly work, including fastening, crimping, and small connector mating
Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 lbs when handling drone units and equipment
Visual acuity sufficient for detailed inspection work, with corrective lenses if needed
About Us
Seneca is building cutting-edge drone and sensor technology for wildfire suppression, aiming to eliminate wildfire risk across 500 million acres of high-risk U.S. + allied territory. Backed by top-tier investors, including Convective Capital, Caffeinated Capital, First Round Capital, Slow Ventures, Nextview Ventures, Transition Capital, Bullpen Capital, Stepstone Group, Roar Capital, Offline Ventures, and leaders from Palantir, Google, Meta, and many others. Founded by Stu Landesberg (former Founder & CEO of Grove Collaborative — IPO in 2022 at $1.7B) and fire industry experts, Seneca is a mission-driven company dedicated to climate resilience and fire prevention.
Don’t meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply — you may still be the right fit for our team.
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