Lead AIT Technician

Wanna join the adventure? As our Lead AIT Technician, you’ll be a working technical leader and people manager within our Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) team. You’ll remain hands-on with spacecraft flight hardware while also supporting, mentoring, and developing the technicians around you. You’ll work closely with AIT Engineers and cross-functional teams to ensure spacecraft are assembled and integrated to the highest workmanship and quality standards. This role is ideal for an experienced AIT Technician who enjoys being close to the hardware, takes pride in technical excellence, and wants to help build a strong, capable technician team as Loft continues to scale. About this Role: Perform hands-on assembly, integration, inspection, and rework of spacecraft flight hardware as a senior member of the AIT technician teamManage, mentor, and develop AIT Technicians, providing regular feedback, coaching, and support for their professional growthServe as a technical reference for the technician team, helping reinforce workmanship standards, best practices, and consistent executionAssemble and integrate mechanical and electrical spacecraft hardware in accordance with engineering drawings, work instructions, specifications, and controlled processesPerform precision mechanical assembly activities using appropriate hand tools, torque tools, measuring equipment, and other production equipmentPerform electrical assembly activities such as cable and harness installation, connector mating, routing, bonding, and other spacecraft integration activitiesInspect completed work and support peer inspections to ensure hardware meets engineering, workmanship, and quality requirementsSupport the development, improvement, and maintenance of build procedures, work instructions, and production documentation based on hands-on experience from the production floorIdentify and escalate technical or quality issues encountered during assembly and integration, working closely with Engineering and Quality to support resolutionContribute to root cause investigations, NCRs, FRACAS, and corrective actions when issues arise during spacecraft build and integrationPartner with AIT Engineers, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Design Engineering to provide hands-on feedback that improves manufacturability, integration processes, and overall product qualityChampion a safe, organized, and disciplined production environment and help foster a culture of quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement Must Haves: 5+ years of hands-on experience assembling and integrating spacecraft, aerospace hardware, or similarly complex high-reliability hardwareDemonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and/or managing technicians in an assembly or production environmentStrong hands-on mechanical and electrical assembly skills, with a solid understanding of high-reliability workmanship practicesAbility to interpret and work from engineering drawings, schematics, 3D models, technical specifications, and detailed work instructionsExperience using precision hand tools, torque tools, measurement equipment, and other equipment commonly used for spacecraft or aerospace hardware assemblyExperience working within controlled manufacturing and engineering processes, including configuration-controlled documentation, PDM/PLM systems, ECOs, and/or non-conformance processesStrong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to provide clear technical guidance, feedback, and coachingMeticulous attention to detail and a strong sense of ownership over the quality of work performedAbility and willingness to remain hands-on with spacecraft hardware while taking responsibility for the development and performance of the technician team Nice to Haves: Previous experience as a Lead Technician, Senior Technician, or Technician Manager in the aerospace or space industryExperience with spacecraft Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) from initial hardware integration through vehicle-level activitiesFamiliarity with aerospace workmanship standards such as IPC/WHMA-A-620, J-STD-001, NASA-STD-8739, or equivalent standardsExperience with RF hardware or RF-related spacecraft integrationSoftware or programming experience, particularly PythonExperience contributing to FRACAS, NCR, root cause analysis, or corrective action processesCertified forklift and/or crane operator Some of Our Awesome Benefits: 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance option for employees and dependentsFlexible Spending (FSA) and Health Savings (HSA) Accounts offered with an employer contribution to the HSA100% employer paid Life, AD&D, Short-Term, and Long-Term Disability insuranceFlexible Time Off policy for vacation and sick leave, and 12 paid holidays401(k) plan and equity optionsDaily catered lunches and snacksInternational exposure to our team in FranceFully paid parental leave; 14 weeks for primary caregiver and 10 weeks for secondary caregiverCarrot Fertility provides comprehensive, inclusive fertility healthcare and family-forming benefits with financial supportOff-sites and many social events and celebrationsRelocation assistance when applicableResearch shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t check all the boxes Who We Are Loft: Space Made Simple. Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and simple way to deploy missions in orbit. We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, on-orbit AI, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives. With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure. As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. State law requires us to tell you the base compensation range for this role, which is $110,000- $150,000 per year. This is determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The salary range for this role is intentionally wide as we evaluate individuals based on their unique experience and abilities to fit our needs. Most importantly, we are excited to meet you, and see if you are a great fit for our team. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.