Full Time R&D Scientist Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future
Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.
Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.
Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we're building the future of American manufacturing-and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.
If you're ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you're exactly who we're looking for.
The Role:
As Hadrian takes on larger, more complex integrated assemblies, critical lifts involving cranes and heavy rigging are becoming a core part of how we build. We're looking for a Lift Specialist to stand up our rigging workcenter from the ground up: scoping the cranes and lift fixtures we need, building the training and certification program for the team, and partnering with Build Engineering to define safe, repeatable processes for every critical lift. This is a hands-on, build-it-from-zero role for someone who wants to own rigging and lift safety across Hadrian's factories.
What You'll Do

• Support development activities tied to new capability introduction at FX, including laser cutting, resistance welding, hand soldering, water jet operation, and general assembly.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and help bring online new equipment as it's landed on the factory floor.
• Partner with process and manufacturing engineers to iterate on new processes and NPI builds.
• Document setup, process parameters, and key learnings to support eventual handoff to production.
• Cross-train across capability areas as the FX R&D Technician team consolidates and grows.

What We're Looking For

• Hands-on experience in one or more of: laser cutting, resistance/spot welding, hand soldering, or water jet operation.
• Comfort operating in an ambiguous, fast-moving R&D or NPI environment where processes aren't fully defined yet.
• Strong troubleshooting instincts and a bias toward figuring things out on the shop floor.
• Ability to clearly document setup steps and process parameters for others to follow.
• Willingness to cross-train into new processes and tools as capability needs shift.

What Will Set You Apart

• R&D experience at SpaceX or a similar company working on NPI programs (e.g., Starship), including hand laser welding, spot welding, laser cutting, or robot operations.
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent programs with shifting priorities.
• Familiarity with hand-held laser welders and general assembly work in addition to core joining/cutting processes.
• A track record of helping less experienced technicians ramp up on new equipment..

Compensation
For this role, the target salary range may vary based on experience.
This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.
Benefits for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
• 401k
• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy
• Equity

ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Use of AI in hiring
Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.
Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the Company's policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.