Repair & Quality Technician

Job Description

Job Description

Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.

Repair & Quality Technician — Bioacoustic Recorders

Location

On-site -- Maynard, Massachusetts

Reports To

Director of Quality

Employment Type

Full-time - Exempt

Department

Operations / Quality

About the Role

We're hiring a Repair Technician to service and refurbish our bioacoustic recording instruments — rugged devices that get deployed outdoors, often in remote or harsh environments, and come back needing everything from a deep clean to a full motherboard replacement. You'll handle both the electrical side (board-level repairs like SD card slots and microphone wiring) and the mechanical side (gaskets, connectors, enclosure hardware) that keeps these units weatherproof and field-ready.

This role will work closely with, and shadow, our senior repair technician. You'll be learning our repair processes, diagnostic approach, and product history directly from the person who built that expertise. Beyond repair work, you'll be a technical resource for Customer Service, prepare repair estimates for our customers, and support Quality with test execution, inbound inspection, and failures investigation.

Key Responsibilities

Repair & Refurbishment

• Diagnose and repair returned recorders, ranging from routine cleaning and gasket replacement to board-level fixes.
• Perform board-level (PCBA) repairs such as replacing damaged connectors, displays and rewiring or resoldering broken connections.
• Clean, inspect, and refurbish units that have been deployed outdoors, including disassembly and reassembly of enclosures.
• Replace worn or damaged rubber gaskets, connectors, and plastic enclosure parts to restore weatherproofing and structural integrity.
• Maintain accurate repair records — what was found, what was replaced, and time/parts used — for each unit.
• Occasional re-work of products needing bench-repairable ECO’s.

Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

• Systematically troubleshoot electrical and mechanical failures.
• Track recurring failure modes and flag patterns that may point to a design or manufacturing issue.
• Keep repair queues and unit status organized so nothing falls through the cracks as volume ramps up.

Cross-Functional Support

• Serve as a technical resource for the Customer Service team, answering troubleshooting questions on deployed units.
• Work with quality and engineering to share field failure data and provide input on part durability and design changes.
• Support the Quality team and mechanical/electrical engineering by running test programs and operating equipment for qualification (including new/alternate parts), and reliability testing.
• Provide occasional coverage/support for light assembly and rework efforts (as needed, during peak demand periods).

Knowledge Transfer

• Shadow our senior repair technician to learn established repair procedures, tooling, and product-specific quirks.
• Help document repair processes and work instructions to capture institutional knowledge.
• Gradually take on increased ownership of repair operations as your understanding increases.
• Maintain the repair documentation for accuracy via periodic (as needed) updates of the written process to capture changes, additions, or deletions such that the written process accurately reflects the actual repair process being performed for any given model/task.

Qualifications

Required

• Solid soldering skills, including small-scale rework (through-hole and surface-mount components).
• Strong troubleshooting instincts — comfortable working from symptoms back to root cause on both electronics and mechanical assemblies.
• Hands-on mechanical aptitude: comfortable with small fasteners, gaskets, connectors, and enclosure hardware.
• Strong organizational habits — able to track multiple units, repair statuses, and parts across a queue without losing track.
• Clear written communication for repair notes, failure documentation, and cross-team questions.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a small, cross-functional team.

Preferred

• Experience repairing or servicing electronic instruments, especially ruggedized or outdoor/field equipment.
• Familiarity with basic test equipment (multimeter, workbench power supply) and environmental/reliability
  temperature/humidity chamber.
• Prior experience in a role with a formal knowledge-transfer or mentorship component.
• Interest in bioacoustics, audio recording, or field research equipment is a plus, though not required.

What Success Looks Like

• Repair turnaround is fast and reliable, with clear documentation on every unit.
• Recurring failure patterns are identified and communicated to engineering before they become widespread issues.
• Customer Service and Quality both have a dependable technical partner they can turn to.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $72,000 - $83,000

Benefits:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – We are an employee-owned company!
• Medical coverage – Cigna Triad /Securus (80/20)
• Dental coverage - Delta Dental (80/20)
• Vision coverage – VSP (80/20)
• Health Reimbursement Account – Funded by Employer ($5,500 for single plans & $9,000 for non-single plans)
• Dependent Care Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts available
• LT/ST/Life & ADD available (ST paid by employer)
• Health & Wellness Allowance and Programs
• PTO – 120 hours
• Floating Holidays – 10 days per calendar year
• Sick/Wellness Time: 40 hours
• 401(k) Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement: up to $5,000/year
• Training and Development Programs
• Charitable Giving Match
• Partial Mileage Reimbursement
• On-site Fitness Center Free Membership

WORKPLACE COMMITMENTS EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Wildlife Acoustics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture, hair type, hair length, and natural or protective hairstyles), color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, handicap or disability, marital or family status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran status, immigration or citizenship status, military obligations, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, status as a domestic violence victim, prior criminal convictions, prior criminal arrest or prosecution that was resolved favorable for the individual, or participation in discrimination complaint-related activities or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local Laws. Our policy reflects and affirms Wildlife Acoustics’ commitment to the principles of fair employment and the elimination of all discriminatory practices.

THE PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT

The act expressly prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, such as lactation or the need to express breast milk for a nursing child. It also describes employers’ obligations to employees that are pregnant or lactating and the protections these employees are entitled to receive. Generally, employers may not treat employees or job applicants less favorably than other employees based on pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions and have an obligation to accommodate pregnant workers.

ANTI-SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICY

Wildlife Acoustics maintains a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery (including servitude, forced labor, and trafficking) and is committed to acting ethically across all business dealings and supply chains. This policy applies to all employees, directors, officers, contractors, and third-party representatives. It is strictly prohibited to engage in, facilitate, or fail to report any activity that constitutes modern slavery, such as utilizing forced labor, withholding identification documents, or engaging in fraudulent recruitment practices. All parties must comply with this policy and report any suspicious activity to management or Human Resources. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment/relationship with Wildlife Acoustics.