Engineering Technician V (CNC Machinist)

Bowhead • Dahlgren, VA

21h

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 role emphasizes prototype buildouts, custom mounts and designs, fabrication, and some TIG welding of aluminum. The technician will work with HAAS VF2 and VF3 machines and apply fundamentals of engineering prototyping processes. Travel of 5% annually can be expected.

The role involves fabricating and modifying prototypes from mechanical technical drawing packages, CAD blueprints, interface documents, and engineering specifications, and assembling, securing, and inspecting complex prototype artifacts to DoD engineering standards. The technician will support multiple projects, manage tooling and work layouts, establish quality control for completed articles, maintain a clean and safe laboratory and workspace, and keep tool inventories and consumable stock. They will also troubleshoot and set up shop equipment and complex machine assemblies, and support engineering design teams by interpreting CAD drawings and assisting with aluminum TIG welding.

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 in 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; assisting engineers with product inspection, tests, and data collection; and following published user manuals and maintenance documentation.
• Experience reading, editing, and creating electrical drawings and system schematics.
• Experience with hands-on mechanical fabrication, cabling, electro-mechanical 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.
• Strong 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.
• Strong troubleshooting skills focused on mechanical tolerances and physical alignments.
• Familiarity with TIG welding aluminum design.
• EDM machining experience.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of employees and outside contacts.
• Strong interpersonal skills and good judgment, with the ability to work independently or as part of a team.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret-level security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for Secret clearance at this location.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds, stand and walk for prolonged periods, and twist, bend, and squat periodically.

Responsibilities

• Read and work from mechanical technical drawing packages, CAD blueprints, and interface documents; use SolidWorks, MasterCam, or Camworks to fabricate prototype artifacts to engineering specifications using HAAS VF2 and VF3 three-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 of completed articles before engineering review.
• Maintain laboratory cleanliness, workspace safety, tool inventories, and consumable stock, and ensure the shop is operated in accordance with DoD work environments.
• Troubleshoot basic machine-shop equipment, including programming software, and set up complex machine assemblies.
• Support engineering design teams by interpreting complex CAD drawings and initial design technical drawings.
• Assist with TIG welding of aluminum.

What This Job Offers

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