The posting
RF Manufacturing Technician Lead (Production & People Leadership)
You Know the Equipment. Are You Ready to Lead the Team?
Location: Palo Alto, CA (On-Site)
Yearly Salary: $95,000–$120,000 (Exempt)
Are you the person other technicians turn to when the equipment isn't behaving the way it should? Maybe your title right now is RF (radio frequency) Test Lead, Senior RF Technician, Electronics Technician, Test Engineer, Production Lead, or Manufacturing Supervisor.We're interested in what you actually know and do, not just what your title says.
At Microwave Power Products (MPP), we manufacture RF and electronic components used in aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial equipment. Our work requires precision, attention to detail, and teamwork, and our technicians play an important role in building products our worldwide customers depend on.
MPP has more than 70 years of manufacturing experience and is now part of TransDigm Group, a global aerospace and defense company. We offer a stable work environment, hands-on training, and opportunities to grow your skills while working with experienced technicians and engineers. MPP is looking for a technically strong leader who can help lead production while developing the knowledge needed to understand and support a specialized RF and high-voltage test environment.
You'll work alongside technicians and assemblers, help troubleshoot production problems, coordinate with Engineering and Quality, and help keep technically complex work moving safely and on schedule.
What You'll Do
- Lead and coordinate daily production activities and prioritize work to support schedule commitments.
- Provide technical and day-to-day leadership to technicians.
- Help identify production constraints and remove obstacles before they affect delivery.
- Work directly with technical employees to troubleshoot equipment, process, and production issues.
- Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to resolve problems.
- Ensure work is performed safely, accurately, and according to established procedures.
- Identify and implement improvements to workflow, quality, productivity, and schedule adherence.
- Support training, cross-training, and development of technical employees.
- Communicate production status, risks, technical issues, and resource needs to leadership.
- Help build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
We Need Real Hands-On RF Experience
RF experience is required, but we're not looking for someone who has simply worked around RF terminology. We're looking for someone who has personally worked with RF systems, RF test equipment, high-power electronics, electrical instrumentation, or similarly complex technical equipment and can explain what they actually did.
Your experience might come from:
- RF or microwave production
- RF test and measurement
- High-power RF systems
- Radar or transmitter systems
- Aerospace or defense electronics
- Electronics test
- High-voltage electrical systems
- Other technically demanding RF/electrical environments
Tell Us What You Actually Worked On
A strong candidate should be able to explain:
- What RF or electrical systems you personally worked with
- What operating conditions or parameters you monitored
- What measurements you personally performed
- What test equipment or instrumentation you used
- How you diagnosed an abnormal RF or electrical condition
- A technical problem you personally troubleshot and how you approached it
- How you determined whether the equipment was operating correctly
Experience with oscilloscopes, DMMs, RF power meters, spectrum analyzers, high-voltage measurement equipment, power supplies, and specialized test fixtures is valuable.
Experience with high-power/high-voltage RF systems, energized equipment, conditioning or burn-in processes, or tube-based technology is especially relevant.
Vacuum Electronics Experience Is a Plus
MPP works with specialized vacuum-electronic technology, so direct experience with tubes or related high-power RF systems can be valuable. However, we will consider candidates from other RF and high-power electronics environments who can demonstrate strong technical fundamentals, hands-on troubleshooting ability, and the ability to learn specialized equipment.
What We're Looking For
- 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, test, electronics, RF, or a related technical environment.
- 2+ years of experience leading, mentoring, coordinating, or supervising technical employees or production work.
- Hands-on RF experience.
- Experience troubleshooting technical equipment in a production or test environment.
- Ability to understand electrical/mechanical assembly and production workflows.
- Ability to read and follow technical documentation, procedures, drawings, and work instructions.
- Experience with process improvement, Lean principles, or similar continuous-improvement practices.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- A hands-on, decisive approach to solving problems.
- Interest in developing people and taking broader ownership of production.
You may already be an experienced supervisor or you may be the technical lead everyone calls when something goes wrong. Either way, we're interested in the depth of your technical experience and your ability to lead people.
This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws (ITAR/EAR). Access to certain controlled information may be limited to individuals who qualify as “U.S. persons” (generally U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain protected individuals). Non-U.S. persons may still apply; however to be eligible for the role, access to controlled information may require U.S. government authorization.
Applicants must be able to comply with applicable export control requirements. For security clearance position, the candidate must be a US citizen with the ability to obtain a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Security Clearance as required, holding a security clearance is a plus.
The Environment
MPP's production and test environment combines RF, high voltage, electronics, specialized instrumentation, and experienced technical employees.
You won't be expected to know our products on day one. You will be expected to learn them.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is comfortable getting close to the work, asking technical questions, learning from experienced technicians, and using sound judgment when production problems arise.
The role is primarily on-site and requires flexibility to work beyond standard business hours when necessary to support high-priority production needs or critical issues.
Why MPP?
At MPP, technical knowledge matters. You'll work alongside experienced technicians and manufacturing professionals while helping translate technical expertise into reliable production execution. If you're an RF technical professional who is ready to move from "the person who solves the problem" toward "the person who helps the team solve the problem," we'd like to hear from you.
What We Offer
Compensation of $95,000–$120,000 on annual salary (exempt)
- Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous 401(k) match
- Commuter benefits and more within the Stanford Research Park
- Complimentary EV charging
- Paid time off and holidays
- Training and opportunities for skill development and growth
Our Workplace Commitment
We value the unique and diverse skills, qualities, and backgrounds that each employee brings to MPP, and we respect each employee as an integral member of our growing team. MPP is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all current and prospective employees, as well as to promoting a culture of inclusion and respect for everyone. We celebrate the innovation that diversity creates in the work environment, and we recognize that each employee brings their own unique capabilities, experiences, and perspectives to the organization. It is this variety that adds value to our teams, as well as to our stakeholders. We welcome and encourage applicants to reach their full potential with us.
MPP is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
