Lead Composites Technician - R&D & Production (Equity)

Swarm Aero; Oxnard (CA); On-site; Full time

Job description

Location

Oxnard

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

On-site

Department

AircraftManufacturing

Compensation

• $80K – $110K • Offers Equity

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

We're not looking for someone who follows a layup schedule. We're looking for someone who wrote one, questioned it, and made it better. As a Composites Technician, you'll sit at the intersection of materials science and hands-on fabrication, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our engineering team to push the boundaries of what's possible in aircraft manufacturing.

What You'll Do

• Develop and optimize composite manufacturing processes with a sharp eye on material behavior, cure kinetics, and process-structure-property relationships

• Fabricate and test advanced aircraft components and tooling using both conventional and novel manufacturing methods

• Conduct hands-on material characterization including mechanical testing, material property evaluation, and process validation

• Author shop procedures and technical documentation that reflect genuine expertise, not just steps copied from a datasheet

• Partner with engineers to investigate failures, qualify new materials, and develop first-of-kind processes where the answer isn't always known yet

• Foster a manufacturing culture built around curiosity, rigor, and continuous improvement

What You Bring

• 5+ years of deep, hands-on composites experience, with colleagues who come to you when something doesn't behave the way it should

• You think in terms of resin systems, cure cycles, fiber architecture, and void content, not just layup sequences

• As comfortable discussing the chemistry behind a prepreg system as you are running an autoclave or troubleshooting a bonded joint

• Proven ability to take ownership of undefined problems and turn them into documented, repeatable solutions

• Thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where structure is built, not given

• Experience with material characterization, mechanical testing, or process development in an R&D or advanced manufacturing setting is a strong plus

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience

• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k

• PTO and paid sick leave

• Monthly wellness stipend

• Daily catered lunch (office)

• Paid parental leave

• Direct impact on a critical national security mission

• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems

Compensation Range: $80K - $110K