--- title: 'Manager, GNC and Test Engineering at Rainmaker Technology Corporation' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manager-gnc-and-test-engineering-rainmaker-technology-corporation-salt-lake-city-9ep7g55d8j11' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-26' --- # Manager, GNC and Test Engineering at Rainmaker Technology Corporation - **Company:** Rainmaker Technology Corporation - **Location:** Salt Lake City, UT - **Compensation:** $145k–$175k - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-09-30 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-26 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/make-rain/c243921c-f22d-4886-afaf-3f82875b940f ## Job description 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. We're looking for a Manager, GNC and Test Engineering who has taken an unmanned aircraft from requirements through first flight and a full flight test campaign. You're equally comfortable performance-modeling a propulsion system at a desk and troubleshooting a GNSS receiver in the field during flight tests — fast, thoughtful, autonomous, and a clear communicator. ## What You'll Do - Platform Technical Direction: Guide the technical direction of our UAS platforms end-to-end, working alongside our engineering and research teams: requirements setting, configuration definition, aircraft design, build, first flight, and qualification. - Propulsion & Environmental Performance Modeling: Build and maintain performance, sizing, and stability models that translate our operating conditions — including wind and gust environments — into motor RPM and torque requirements, and use those models to drive propulsion and powertrain component selection. - Component Qualification: Evaluate and qualify candidate motors, propellers, ESCs, and battery systems against real endurance, thermal, and margin requirements. - GNC Ownership & Tuning: Own GNC across our rotorcraft and fixed-wing platforms: control architecture, gain tuning, estimator configuration, and sensor selection — achieving tight, reliable tuning across the full flight envelope, including in wind. - Flight Test: Design and execute flight test campaigns, including writing test plans and cards, integrating additional instrumentation, risk identification and mitigation, envelope expansion, log analysis, and reporting results back to our design team. - Testing & QA Leadership: Lead and mentor the testing and quality assurance team, owning QA processes and standards across flight test and vehicle qualification. ## What We're Looking For - Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent demonstrated experience. - 5+ years developing unmanned aircraft, with at least one platform you took from a blank sheet to a flying, qualified vehicle. - Experience with aircraft sizing and performance analysis: energy budgets, hover and cruise power, disk loading, endurance and range prediction. - Demonstrated ability to model motor RPM and torque requirements against real environmental conditions (wind, gusts) and translate those into propulsion sizing and selection decisions. - Hands-on GNC experience, including PID tuning on multirotor or fixed-wing aircraft, with a track record of tuning vehicles to fly reliably in demanding conditions. - Deep working knowledge of PX4 or ArduPilot. - Experience writing and executing structured flight test campaigns, including envelope expansion on a new airframe. - Experience leading or building out a testing and quality assurance function or team. - FAA Part 107 certificate; experience operating under waivers and BVLOS preferred. - Willingness to deploy to the field for extended periods, including OCONUS ## About Rainmaker Technology Corporation ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Rainmaker Technology Corporation uses drone-based cloud seeding to increase precipitation, restore ecosystems, and fight drought. - **Entity Type**: Public (NASDAQ: RNK) – also described as privately held in some sources; likely a recent public listing with small revenue and high growth. - **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, United States - **Founded**: 2023 - **Founders**: Not publicly available ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Climate Technology Product Manufacturing / Weather Modification - **Target customers**: Governments, water districts, agricultural operators, and environmental restoration organizations (B2G/B2B) - **Mission or purpose**: “Make rain. Make snow. Make Earth habitable.” – ending water scarcity with next-generation cloud seeding. ## Products & Services - **[Next-Generation Cloud Seeding System]**: Integrated system of advanced radar, unmanned aircraft (drones), and a cutting-edge weather awareness platform. Used to deliver moderate, predictable increases in precipitation. Aimed at restoring ecosystems, recharging aquifers, and reducing wildfire risk. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed; total funding of $31.3M (LinkedIn) or $73.9M (CB Insights) – conflicting reports. Last funding round: Series B of $41M (CB Insights) or Series A of $25M led by Lowercarbon Capital (LinkedIn). - **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue $7.3M (LinkedIn); Total Funding $31.3M (LinkedIn) / $73.9M (CB Insights) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Lowercarbon Capital, Starship Ventures, UP Partners, 1517 Fund, Long Journey Ventures, Garry Tan, and 18+ others (CB Insights). - **Growth Signals**: 78 employees (+117.4% YoY); 15,285 LinkedIn followers (+148.5% YoY); active job postings: 35 (+337.5% YoY); first U.S. commercial cloud-seeding operation with measured proof of generated precipitation (19 million gallons in 3 hours with 2 drones, August 2026). ## Competitive Advantages - **Scientific Rigor**: Embedded research organization (Rainmaker Fellows) dedicated to validating results and transparency. - **First-Mover Proof**: Demonstrated measurable, unambiguous precipitation increase in a commercial operation (USA Today coverage). - **Integrated Technology**: Combines radar, drones, and weather platform – a modern, proprietary system vs. legacy cloud seeding methods. - **Location**: Based in El Segundo, CA, part of a deep-tech ecosystem with strong engineering talent. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale operations**: Expanding into new geographies (Australia, Southern Europe, DACH, India, Middle East); hiring directors of business development for multiple regions. - **Research & Development**: Launched Rainmaker Fellowship (3-month program) to advance atmospheric science and weather modification. - **Regulatory & Public Trust**: Committed to transparency and public education about cloud seeding capabilities and limitations. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Described as “an engineering organization and a microcosm of El Segundo's spirit” – iterate quickly, solve the most important problem of our age. - **Work Environment**: On-site roles in El Segundo, CA, with seasonal field positions across the western U.S. (Utah, Nevada, etc.). - **Growth**: Rapidly scaling headcount (117% YoY), high-visibility work with real-world environmental impact. - **Perks**: Opportunity to work on “physical technology” in a deep-tech renaissance; hands-on with drones, radar, and weather systems. - **Values**: Stewardship of the natural world, scientific rigor, and making freshwater available to all. ## Sources 1. [rainmaker.com](https://www.rainmaker.com/) 2. [jobs.lever.co/make-rain](https://jobs.lever.co/make-rain) 3. [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/rainmaker-technology-corporation) 4. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/rainmaker-4) ## Other roles at Rainmaker Technology Corporation - [Sr. Security Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-security-engineer-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-c2j5zrzwgdy8) — El Segundo, CA - [Embedded Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-engineer-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-fvx1h84rvdb3) — El Segundo, CA - [Senior Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electrical-engineer-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-67ek8ebrw2fs) — El Segundo, CA - [Lead, UAV Integration Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-uav-integration-technician-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-7d9z9hk1gpj5) — El Segundo, CA - [Director of Agricultural Development](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-agricultural-development-rainmaker-technology-corporation-washington-tnnrgwcw3g38) — Washington, DC - [Director of Science Policy](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-science-policy-rainmaker-technology-corporation-washington-y5ag13vxkz9x) — Washington, DC - [Director of Water Development](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-water-development-rainmaker-technology-corporation-washington-p0kvm3wpr9e4) — Washington, DC - [Director of International Development](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-international-development-rainmaker-technology-corporation-fshbbqh5sagq) — Washington, DC - [Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-7stdfxrqvfaq) — El Segundo, CA - [Senior Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-0xzkcvjb7565) — El Segundo, CA