Composite Technician

Approach Venture; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Paid vacation and sick time

Paid company holidays and additional休

401(k) with employer matching

Medical, dental, vision, life, and dis

Lunch provided daily

Job summary

Approach Venture is seeking a Composite Manufacturing Technician for its El Segundo, CA on-site production floor. You will prepare tooling and materials, support molding operations, monitor processes, and inspect parts to build expertise in advanced composites as production scales.

You will work with engineers to improve repeatability, quality, and efficiency while handling heavy equipment and maintaining safety standards on a fast-paced manufacturing line.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in composites or related technical field.
• Hands-on with compression molding or resin transfer molding equipment.
• Experience producing layups, preforms, or molded components.
• Experience preparing, loading, and handling molds and materials.
• Ability to monitor process parameters and document results.

Responsibilities

• Prepare molds, tooling, materials, and equipment for operations.
• Build composite layups and preforms per production requirements.
• Load and operate molding equipment, presses, and ovens.
• Monitor cycles, temperatures, pressures, and timing.
• Inspect finished hardware and document results.
• Escalate issues and support maintenance activities.
• Follow procedures, safety rules, and SOPs.
• Collaborate with engineers to improve repeatability and efficiency.

Skills

Composite manufacturing experience

Molding operations

Quality inspection

Documentation

Safety compliance

Tools

Hydraulic presses

Ovens

Mold handling

Job description

Composite Manufacturing Technician – Advanced Composites Production

El Segundo, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join an early-stage advanced manufacturing company scaling a new approach to producing high-performance composite hardware for aerospace, defense, and other demanding applications. As a Composite Manufacturing Technician, you will work directly on the production floor preparing tooling and materials, supporting molding operations, monitoring manufacturing processes, and inspecting completed parts. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys working with physical hardware and wants to build deeper expertise in composite manufacturing as production scales.

About Us

We are a venture-backed advanced manufacturing startup developing faster, more scalable methods for producing complex composite structures. The team is moving from process development into higher-volume production, creating opportunities for manufacturing technicians to work closely with engineers, contribute to process improvements, and take on increasing ownership as the operation grows.

Job Duties

• Prepare molds, tooling, materials, and equipment for composite manufacturing operations
• Build composite layups, preforms, and other material configurations according to production requirements
• Load and operate molding equipment, hydraulic presses, ovens, and related manufacturing systems
• Monitor molding cycles, temperatures, pressures, timing, and other process parameters
• Handle composite materials safely and consistently throughout the manufacturing process
• Perform visual inspections, dimensional checks, and basic quality verification on completed hardware
• Document production results, process conditions, defects, and manufacturing observations
• Escalate equipment, tooling, material, or process issues when additional engineering support is required
• Support equipment troubleshooting, tooling upkeep, and preventive maintenance activities
• Follow manufacturing procedures, safety requirements, and standard operating practices
• Work closely with manufacturing and engineering teams to improve repeatability, quality, and production efficiency

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in composites, molding, plastics manufacturing, or a relevant technical trade environment
• Hands‑on experience operating compression molding, resin transfer molding, or comparable manufacturing equipment
• Experience producing composite layups, preforms, or molded composite components
• Comfortable preparing, loading, and handling molds, tooling, and composite materials
• Ability to accurately monitor and document manufacturing process parameters
• Experience performing basic inspection and quality checks on manufactured components
• Comfortable working around hydraulic presses, industrial ovens, molds, and other heavy production equipment
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to safe, repeatable manufacturing practices
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds
• Must meet U.S. Person requirements under applicable export control regulations

Preferred Experience

• Aerospace or defense manufacturing experience
• Exposure to composite process development or production scale‑up
• Experience troubleshooting manufacturing equipment or supporting preventive maintenance
• Machine shop or general fabrication experience
• Familiarity with manufacturing travelers, work instructions, standard operating procedures, or similar documentation
• Forklift certification or previous forklift operating experience
• Interest in developing broader skills across tooling, mold maintenance, materials, manufacturing processes, and production operations
• Experience mentoring technicians or taking informal leadership responsibility on the production floor

Why Join Us

• Work directly on advanced composite hardware used in demanding aerospace and defense applications
• Join an early‑stage manufacturing organization where technicians can have a visible impact on production processes
• Opportunity to grow into greater technical ownership or manufacturing leadership responsibilities
• Collaborate directly with engineers on process development and manufacturing improvements
• Stock options
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid company holidays and additional company days off
• Daily company‑provided lunches
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance

Compensation Details

$30 – $50/hr

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