Aerospace Composite Fabrication Technician II

Advanced Composite Products & Technology; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Advanced Composite Products & Technology in Santa Ana, CA, is seeking an experienced Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician II to perform layup, cure, bonding, and assembly for aerospace-grade structures. The role follows detailed work instructions, maintains material traceability, and supports training of Technician I staff.

You will operate Gerber systems, autoclaves, and laser ply projection tools, ensuring quality per AS9100 standards and collaborating with Manufacturing Engineering

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One to two years of hands-on composite manufacturing experience, including prepreg hand layup and vacuum bagging.
• Experience with Gerber cutting systems.
• Operation of autoclave and oven cure cycles.
• Experience with vacuum bagging on large/complex structures.
• Laser ply projection systems experience.
• Adhesive bonding, honeycomb core preparation, splicing, and potting.
• Able to read engineering blueprints and drawings.
• Experience in AS9100 or Nadcap quality environments.
• Overhead crane operation.

Responsibilities

• Read, interpret, and work from written work instructions, shop travelers, engineering blueprints and drawings, and ply layup schedules.
• Record work performed, material lot and roll numbers, and operation sign‑offs in the shop traveler and ERP system in accordance with ACPT's AS9100 quality management system.
• Identify discrepancies, material damage, drawing and work instruction conflicts, and conditions not addressed by the planning, and refer them to a Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician III+ or Manufacturing Engineering for resolution.
• Set up and operate the Gerber automated cutting system, loading and running the released nest program for the job, verifying material placement, fiber orientation, and bias alignment on the table before cutting, and confirming cut quality and blade condition.
• Cut and kit prepreg plies, adhesive film, and honeycomb core from Gerber nest output, pattern, or template, maintaining correct fiber orientation and ply identification.
• Report Gerber program errors, nest discrepancies, and cut quality issues to a Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician III+ or Manufacturing Engineering.
• Work with composite materials including but not limited to carbon fiber, fiberglass, and Kevlar.
• Maintain material traceability throughout the kitting, layup, bonding, and cure process.
• Prepare, maintain, and verify the condition of layup mandrels, cure tools, bond fixtures, and trim fixtures prior to use, and report tool damage or wear.
• Apply release agents and sealants to tool surfaces per process specification.
• Assemble and disassemble multi‑piece molds and tooling details to yield conforming composite structures.
• Safely operate an overhead crane to move tooling and large assemblies as required.
• Perform hand layup of prepreg composite materials to the specified ply sequence, orientation, and overlap requirements for large composite skins, spars, ribs, and detail components.
• Operate laser ply projection systems to position plies accurately during lamination.
• Perform intermediate debulk operations at the intervals required by the layup instruction.
• Perform vacuum bagging operations on small to large composite structures, including release film, bleeder, breather, edge dams, and sealant tape, and troubleshoot and correct vacuum leaks to achieve the required leak‑down rate.
• Load and unload autoclave and oven cure cycles, including thermocouple placement, vacuum line connection, and verification of the cure setup against the process specification.
• Operate autoclave and oven equipment, selecting and running the approved cure cycle for the part and monitoring temperature, pressure, vacuum, ramp rates, and dwell times against specification limits throughout the cycle.
• Review and document the cure record, verify the completed cycle met all specification parameters, and report any cycle deviation or equipment alarm to a Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician III+ and Quality before the load is released.
• Demold cured assemblies without damage to the part or the tooling.
• Complete trimming, sanding, drilling, and finishing operations to close tolerances using trim fixtures, templates, and various hand and power tools.
• Perform honeycomb core preparation, core splicing, and potting operations to process specifications.
• Perform adhesive bonding operations, including surface preparation, adhesive application, and fit‑up verification.
• Assemble detail components into higher‑level composite assemblies using drawings, fixtures, and work instructions.
• Perform all work to the released, current‑revision work instruction and process specification. Do not deviate from a specified process without documented authorization.
• Perform special process operations, including composite layup, adhesive bonding, and autoclave cure, in accordance with approved process specifications, holding the parameters, sequence, and documentation each specification requires.
• Obtain and maintain the individual process certifications required to perform special process operations. Do not perform an operation for which certification is not current.
• Perform in‑process visual inspection of plies, bondlines, and assemblies, identifying material flaws, wrinkles, bridging, porosity, disbonds, foreign material, and ply misplacement.
• Present completed operations to Quality for in‑process and final inspection, document nonconformances, and support Material Review Board disposition and corrective action.
• Support first article and qualification builds, including the additional documentation and inspection steps these builds require.
• Provide support and direction to Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician I personnel under the direction of a Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician III+.
• Identify and communicate opportunities to improve process, tooling, or work instruction clarity.
• Maintain foreign object debris (FOD) control and cleanliness standards in the layup room and at all work stations.
• Wear required personal protective equipment and comply with all safety, environmental, and hazardous material handling procedures.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as required by assigned programs.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined in ITAR as this position requires access to export‑controlled technical data.
• Employment is contingent on the employee being granted and maintaining eligibility for access to classified information.

Skills

Blueprint interpretation

Attention to detail

Independent judgment

Hand dexterity

Organization

Safety minded

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Gerber cutting system

Autoclave & oven operation

Overhead crane

Vacuum bagging equipment

Laser ply projection systems

Job description

Advanced Composite Products & Technology in Santa Ana, CA, is seeking an experienced Composite Fabrication & Integration Technician II to perform layup, cure, bonding, and assembly for aerospace-grade structures. The role follows detailed work instructions, maintains material traceability, and supports training of Technician I staff.

You will operate Gerber systems, autoclaves, and laser ply projection tools, ensuring quality per AS9100 standards and collaborating with Manufacturing Engineering