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About the Role
Astro Mechanica is seeking an experienced composites technician to establish new processes, grow a team, and set up a manufacturing line. This role involves writing the composites manufacturing playbook and providing design for manufacturing feedback.
Responsibilities
- Lead composite technicians daily, setting and enforcing workmanship standards.
- Assist in building the team through interviewing, onboarding, and training.
- Help establish the airframe manufacturing operation from scratch, including facilities, workflows, and equipment.
- Manage daily builds by sequencing work, assigning tasks, tracking progress, and identifying blockers.
- Perform and supervise composite fabrication processes including layup, bagging, infusion, cure, bonding, trimming, drilling, and assembly.
- Maintain the condition of molds, layup tools, and assembly fixtures, coordinating repairs.
- Collaborate with manufacturing and design engineers to translate build plans into executable processes.
- Provide feedback to engineering based on build data, identifying inefficiencies and discrepancies.
- Establish and improve shop practices for material handling, out-time control, kitting, cleanliness, and record-keeping.
- Inspect work in progress and completed tasks, documenting non-conformances and root causes.
- Oversee safety and housekeeping in the composite shop, including PPE, chemical handling, and hazard reporting.
- Support first article builds and define quality standards for new parts.
- Train the team on new processes and materials, and document procedures.
- Assist in scaling the shop operations as build rates increase.
- Work shoulder to shoulder with engineers to turn build plans into processes.
- Feed engineering real build data regarding slow processes, fragility, and drawing omissions.
- Establish and improve shop practices around material handling, out-time control, kitting, cleanliness, consumables, and cure records.
- Check work in process and at completion, document non-conformances, and help find and fix the cause.
- Own safety and housekeeping in the composite shop, including PPE, chemical handling, and hazard reporting.
- Support first article builds and help define quality standards for new parts.
- Train the team as new processes and materials are introduced, and write documentation.
- Help scale the shop as build rate grows, considering headcount, equipment, and floor layout.
Requirements
- 10+ years of hands-on composite fabrication experience in aerospace, defense, marine, motorsports, or a similar high-performance environment.
- At least 2 years of experience directing the work of other technicians.
- Proven track record of building and managing a hands-on crew, including interviewing, onboarding, training, and setting workmanship standards.
- Deep command of prepreg and wet layup, vacuum bagging, resin infusion, oven and autoclave cure, and secondary bonding.
- Practical experience with core materials (honeycomb, foam, syntactic), including splicing, potting, and core-to-skin bond quality.
- Strong skills in trimming, drilling, sanding, fairing, and fitting composite parts.
- Experience joining composite detail parts into larger structures, including bond preparation, adhesive bonding, shimming, and fastener installation.
- Comfort working with metallic detail parts, weldments, and machined fittings, including composite-to-metal joints.
- Experience with the care and upkeep of molds, layup tools, and assembly fixtures, including preparation, release systems, minor repair, and tool assessment.
- Ability to interpret and work from engineering drawings, ply books, CAD models, and evolving build definitions.
- Ability to write and improve work instructions for technicians.
- Experience managing builds to a schedule, including sequencing work, staffing, risk flagging, and maintaining crew productivity.
- Ownership of quality at the source, including in-process checks, first article support, and accurate build records.
- Demonstrated experience and desire to collaborate closely with engineering on the shop floor, including providing feedback on designs.
- Physically capable of performing the work, including full shifts on feet, lifting, respirator use, and maneuvering around large structures.
- Experience establishing a composite shop or new build cell from scratch, including equipment, consumables, layout, and process.
- Experience in a development or prototype shop environment with evolving build definitions.
Skills
- Composites manufacturing
- Process establishment
- Team leadership
- Manufacturing line setup
- Design for manufacturing feedback
- Layup
- Bagging
- Infusion
- Cure
- Bonding
- Trimming
- Drilling
- Assembly
- Tool maintenance
- Material handling
- Out-time control
- Kitting
- Cleanliness standards
- Consumables management
- Record-keeping
- Quality control
- Non-conformance documentation
- Root cause analysis
- Shop safety
- Housekeeping
- PPE management
- Respirator use
- Chemical handling
- Hazard reporting
- First article inspection
- Process documentation
- Work instruction writing
- Prepreg layup
- Wet layup
- Vacuum bagging
- Resin infusion
- Oven cure
- Autoclave cure
- Secondary bonding
- Core material handling (honeycomb, foam, syntactic)
- Core splicing
- Core potting
- Core-to-skin bond quality
- Trimming
- Drilling
- Sanding
- Fairing
- Fitting
- Composite part joining
- Adhesive bonding
- Shimming
- Fastener installation
- Composite-to-metal joining
- Mold maintenance
- Layup tool maintenance
- Assembly fixture maintenance
- Reading engineering drawings
- Reading ply books
- Reading CAD models
- Work instruction development
- Schedule management
- Risk assessment
- In-process quality checks
- Engineering collaboration
- Physical stamina
- Respirator use
- Lifting
- Shop setup
- Equipment selection
- Consumables selection
- Floor layout planning
- Process development
Location
- In-office
Work Type
- Full-time
- Onsite
Experience Level
- Senior
- Lead
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k) program
- Transparent stock option plan
- Self-managed and flexible time-off policy
- Paid time off (PTO)
- Paid holidays
- Sick time
About the Company
- Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company focused on making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable.
- The company's mission is to democratize high-speed flight and establish rapid, on-demand, point-to-point global mobility.
- Astro Mechanica integrates advanced airframe and engine technologies, including its proprietary Duality™ propulsion system, with a new flight operations model.
- The company is developing adaptable, high-speed systems for the United States government in the near term.
- The team consists of passionate engineers who are generalists with specialist depth, operating in a flat structure.
- The company values engineering excellence, speed, and pragmatism.
Equal Opportunity
- Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer.
- The company proudly recruits and hires a diverse workforce.
- Astro Mechanica is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.