Composites Technician-Bike Shop
About The Position
The Composites Technician supports prototyping shop operations in the Bike Shop within the Hardware Engineering directorate. The role works with the composites team to plan, fabricate, and deliver projects on time, providing hands-on fabrication and mechanical/electro-mechanical integration throughout the product development process. The Bike Shop provides rapid prototyping, early demonstration, product development support, engineering and test support, procurement coordination, and electrical and mechanical fabrication. The technician interprets engineering drawings, models, and specifications; estimates fabrication work; identifies manufacturability issues and tooling needs; communicates and negotiates technical requirements; and coordinates materials and tool orders. Fabrication work includes composite and woodworking processes, layups, forming, trimming, finishing, assembly, and inspection. The role is hands-on and fluid, with mechanical tasks that may vary from day to day.
Requirements
- AA/AS degree or another two-year post-high-school training program.
- At least eight years of experience in a manufacturing or composites shop environment.
- Relevant composites and woodworking experience.
- Relevant knowledge of adhesives and silicones.
- Experience reading fabrication drawings.
- U.S. citizenship, because only U.S. citizens are eligible for the required security clearance.
- Active and transferable U.S. government-issued security clearance required before the start date; ability to obtain an interim U.S. government-issued security clearance is also required before the start date.
Nice To Haves
- Experience using 3D CAD programs.
- Knowledge of materials, machining processes, plating, hardware, and inserts.
- Experience working with small engines.
Responsibilities
- Read and interpret engineering drawings, models, and specifications, including tolerances, ply schedules, fiber orientations, and surface-finish requirements.
- Estimate fabrication labor hours, material costs, and lead times; identify manufacturability issues and required tooling.
- Communicate and negotiate technical requirements.
- Initiate quotes and orders for raw materials, hardware, and machine tools for projects.
- Perform hands-on composites shop fabrication, including mold making, vacuum forming, woodworking, silicone work, part marking and stencil making, carbon-fiber layups, and fiberglass work.
- Perform trimming, sanding, bonding, installation of inserts such as Helicoils and Keenserts, and assembly operations.
- Carry out wet layup and prepreg layup, bagging, curing, demolding, trimming, drilling, bonding with adhesives or films, painting, stenciling, and final part finishing.
- Perform mechanical and electro-mechanical integration.
- Conduct final inspection of composite parts and close out projects.
- Provide hands-on mechanical fabrication support as project needs require.
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- 401(k) match
- Flexible spending accounts
- Flexible work schedules
- Employee assistance program
- Employee Scholar Program
- Parental leave
- Paid time off
- Holidays
- Potential annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation, depending on position level and other factors
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Associate degree
