Atmospheric Instrumentation Fellow

About the role

The Rainmaker Atmospheric Instrumentation Fellowship is a paid, full‑time research and engineering appointment for early‑career researchers. Fellows join the instrumentation team to work on a scoped project that advances Rainmaker's cloud‑seeding technology.

Key responsibilities

• Translate a scientific measurement need into an experimental or engineering plan with a mentor.
• Build, integrate, calibrate, or test hardware and analysis methods for the assigned project.
• Create repeatable calibration procedures and characterize measurement uncertainty across lab, ground, and flight tests.
• Develop fixtures, test equipment, data‑acquisition workflows, and analysis software needed for validation.
• Produce documentation, calibration records, acceptance criteria, and reusable analysis code.

Required profile

• Current undergraduate, master’s, PhD student, postdoc, recent graduate, or other early‑career researcher.
• Background in optical, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, atmospheric science, or related experimental science.
• Strong hands‑on experimental ability and willingness to build and troubleshoot hardware.
• Quantitative programming and data‑analysis skills.
• Availability for full‑time, on‑site work in El Segundo for the appointment period.

Required skills

• Optical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or related field.
• Calibration, uncertainty budgeting, and validation techniques.
• Scientific Python, image processing, signal processing, data acquisition.
• Experience with digital holography, microscopy, particle imaging, lasers, high‑speed cameras, lidar, aerosol instruments, cloud probes, or optical metrology.

What we offer

• Compensation: $8,000 per month.
• Full health coverage (medical, dental, vision).
• Lunch provided and fully stocked kitchenette.
• Free EV charging at HQ.
• Stock options, 401(k) with employer match, unlimited PTO, paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance for eligible candidates.