Engineering Technician V (CNC Machinist)

UIC Alaska • Dahlgren, VA

10d

About The Position

Bowhead seeks an Engineering Technician V (CNC Machinist) for a newly awarded contract supporting the Battle Management System (BMS) family of projects. This hands-on, hardware- and mechanically focused position centers on prototype buildouts, custom mounts and designs, and fabrication. The role uses HAAS VF2 and VF3 3-axis vertical machining centers and involves some TIG welding of aluminum. Travel of 5% annually can be expected.

The technician works from mechanical technical drawing packages, CAD blueprints, interface documents, and engineering specifications to fabricate, assemble, secure, and inspect prototype artifacts in accordance with DoD engineering processes and standards. The role also supports engineering design teams, manages work across multiple projects, maintains shop safety and inventory, and troubleshoots equipment and machine assemblies.

Requirements

• High school diploma or passing score on the General Education Development (GED) exam.
• Seven years of full-time professional experience as an Engineering Technician providing technical support related to mechanical development, fabrication production, or testing directly in support of the Department of Defense.
• Five years of demonstrated hands-on fabrication experience involving CNC machining, mechanical fabrication, testing, and troubleshooting of hardware assemblies in a professional engineering environment.
• Experience developing and testing solutions to technical problems in research and development, manufacturing, inspection, and maintenance, while assisting engineers with product inspection, tests, and data collection.
• Experience following published user manuals and maintenance documentation.
• Experience reading, editing, and creating electrical drawings and system schematics.
• Experience with hands-on mechanical fabrication, cabling, electromechanical assembly, and platform-level systems integration in a professional aerospace or defense engineering environment.
• Proficiency reading and working with mechanical and electrical technical drawing packages, blueprints, and CAD models.
• Familiarity with SolidWorks, MasterCam ’25, and Camworks ’25.
• Hands-on mechanical and fabrication skills, including standard HAAS equipment, Toolroom TL1 Lathe, ProtTrack, Makino U6 H.E.A.T., and basic metal-working equipment.
• Troubleshooting skills focused on mechanical tolerances and physical alignments.
• Familiarity with TIG welding aluminum and design EDM machining experience.
• Intermediate to advanced skills with Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees at all levels and outside contacts.
• Strong interpersonal skills and good judgment, with the ability to work independently or as part of a team.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time, and twist, bend, and squat periodically.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret-level security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for Secret clearance at this location.

Responsibilities

• Read and work from mechanical technical drawing packages, CAD blueprints, and interface documents, using SolidWorks, MasterCam, or Camworks to fabricate prototype artifacts to engineering specifications with HAAS VF2 and VF3 3-axis vertical machining centers.
• Assemble, secure, and inspect complex prototype artifacts to DoD engineering standards, and confirm physical configurations match designs.
• Manage workload across multiple projects; establish tooling setups and work layouts; and perform quality control and final-article review before engineering review.
• Maintain laboratory cleanliness, workspace safety, tool inventories, and consumable stock, and operate the shop in accordance with DoD work-environment requirements.
• Troubleshoot basic machine-shop equipment and programming software, and set up complex machine assemblies.
• Support engineering design teams by interpreting complex CAD drawings and initial design technical drawings, and assist with TIG welding of aluminum.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED