Composites Technician

Modalic•Sterling, VA

About The Position

Modalic builds swarm motherships for autonomous long-range strike and sensing for the US and our Allies. We are driven by a single challenge: unlock the potential of attritable swarms. Small unmanned systems are limited by their range, payload capacity, and computational power. We are giving unmanned systems near infinite reach, putting an end to this paradigm. Modalic was founded by experts in autonomous systems and multi-domain intelligence. Our team rapidly delivers critical technology to our national security users.

Requirements

High school diploma/GED or equivalent hands-on experience; no college degree is required for this role.
Hands-on experience in fabrication, assembly, manufacturing, aircraft maintenance, marine, automotive, woodworking, metalworking, or another shop environment.
Experience safely using common hand tools, power tools, sanding/trimming tools, and basic measurement equipment.
Ability to perform basic shop math, measurements, mixing ratios, and material quantity calculations.
Safety and quality mindset; comfortable wearing PPE and working around resins, adhesives, solvents, dust-producing operations, and sharp or rotating tools.
Strong attention to detail and ability to produce repeatable work to defined tolerances.
Able to stand for extended periods, lift up to 50 pounds, and work in a hands-on manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

2+ years of hands-on experience working with composites.
Experience with carbon fiber resin infusion processes, including mold preparation, vacuum bagging, and structural properties of composite materials.
Experience fabricating, modifying, or maintaining molds, jigs, fixtures, and shop tooling.
Experience trimming, drilling, sanding, bonding, and finishing carbon fiber, fiberglass, or other composite parts.
Familiarity with aerospace or UAS production documentation, FOD prevention, traveler signoff, material lot tracking, and inspection handoff.
Familiarity with precision measurement tools and visual/dimensional quality inspection processes.
Experience supporting prototype aircraft builds, flight-test hardware, field repairs, or rapid design iterations.
Experience in a fast-paced startup, prototype shop, aviation, defense, marine, or motorsport environment.

Responsibilities

Fabricate composite airframe components and assemblies for Modalic’s fixed-wing UAS, including wings, fuselage sections, control surfaces, fairings, panels, fixtures, and test articles.
Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and flight-test teammates and wear different hats as necessary to deliver high-quality UAS products.
Create and maintain composite molds for repeated use and dimensionally accurate part creation; maintaining accurate inventory of epoxy systems and consumables.
Manufacture carbon fiber, fiberglass, and kevlar composite parts using techniques like resin infusion, CNC-milled tooling, vacuum bagging, wet and prepreg layup, and oven/autoclave curing.
Prepare vacuum bag stack ups by cutting and laying peel ply, flow media, and resin flow paths; monitor jobs and troubleshoot issues to ensure high quality composite products.
Design stands, jigs, and manufacturing tools in CAD and manufacture with CNC-milling and 3D printing.
Trim, drill, sand, bond, fasten, and finish composite parts and assemblies using hand tools, power tools, pneumatic tools, and basic measurement equipment.
Read and follow drawings, work instructions, build notes, and verbal direction from engineers and leads; provide practical feedback on manufacturability and process improvements.
Perform visual and dimensional checks, identify defects, support rework or repair activities, and ensure parts are ready for quality review and downstream assembly.
Maintain material traceability, lot information, cure records, process notes, and other documentation needed for aerospace-quality hardware.
Maintain a clean, organized, FOD-conscious work area and follow shop safety practices for PPE, resins, adhesives, solvents, dust, sharp tools, and powered equipment.
Support prototype builds, rapid design iterations, ground testing, flight-test preparation, field repairs, and customer demonstrations as needed.