Mechanical Technician

Wardstone; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

You will read engineering drawings, use precision measuring tools, and maintain shop safety and organization while tracking materials and build results. This role requires technical certification or military training and 2+ years of hands-on experience.

Qualifications

• Technical certificate, trade school, or military training in machining or mechanical fabrication, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience in machining, fabrication, or mechanical assembly.
• Experience running manual or CNC mills and lathes.
• Able to read engineering drawings, including tolerances and GD&T.
• Skilled with precision measuring tools.
• Safe, organized, and careful in your work and records.
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs and work on your feet in a shop environment.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual). [Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance.]

Responsibilities

• Machine parts on manual and CNC mills and lathes from engineering drawings.
• Fabricate test fixtures, tooling, brackets, and ground support equipment.
• Work quickly with engineers to turn design changes into new parts.
• Assemble airframe structures, mechanisms, and subassemblies following drawings and procedures.
• Install fasteners, inserts, and bonded joints to specification, including torque values.
• Integrate hardware from propulsion and avionics teams into the vehicle.
• Inspect in-house and vendor parts using calipers, micrometers, height gauges, and other measuring tools.
• Set up, run, and tear down structural, vibration, and environmental tests.
• Support static fires and flight tests at test ranges.
• Record build and inspection results.
• Maintain shop machines, tools, and safety equipment, and keep the shop organized.
• Track raw material and hardware inventory.
• Suggest better fixtures, tools, and processes to make builds faster and more consistent.

Skills

Machining

Fabrication

Mech Assembly

GD&T reading

Precision measuring

Education

Technical certificate

Military training

Tools

Fusion 360

Mastercam

CNC Mills

CNC Lathes

Job description

Overview

You will machine, build, and assemble the hardware that flies on our first two interceptor platforms. You’ll make parts and test fixtures in our shop, assemble airframe structures and mechanisms, and support ground and flight tests. You’ll report to the Mechanical Engineering Lead. You’ll also work alongside the propulsion, avionics, and aerodynamics teams. The hardware you build will go through testing and fly.

What You’ll Do

Machine and fabricate

• Machine parts on manual and CNC mills and lathes from engineering drawings.
• Fabricate test fixtures, tooling, brackets, and ground support equipment.
• Work quickly with engineers to turn design changes into new parts.

Assemble hardware

• Assemble airframe structures, mechanisms, and subassemblies following drawings and procedures.
• Install fasteners, inserts, and bonded joints to specification, including torque values.
• Integrate hardware from the propulsion and avionics teams into the vehicle.

Inspect and support tests

• Inspect in-house and vendor parts using calipers, micrometers, height gauges, and other measuring tools.
• Set up, run, and tear down structural, vibration, and environmental tests.
• Support static fires and flight tests at test ranges.

Keep the shop running

• Record build and inspection results.
• Maintain shop machines, tools, and safety equipment, and keep the shop organized.
• Track raw material and hardware inventory.
• Suggest better fixtures, tools, and processes to make builds faster and more consistent.

Required Qualifications

• Technical certificate, trade school, or military training in machining or mechanical fabrication, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of hands‑on experience in machining, fabrication, or mechanical assembly.
• Experience running manual or CNC mills and lathes.
• Able to read engineering drawings, including tolerances and GD&T.
• Skilled with precision measuring tools.
• Safe, organized, and careful in your work and records.
• Able to lift up to [50] lbs and work on your feet in a shop environment.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual). [Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance.]

Nice to Have

• CNC programming and CAM experience (e.g., Fusion 360 or Mastercam).
• Experience with aerospace or defense hardware assembly.
• Composite layup, bonding, or TIG welding experience.
• Military maintenance experience or an A&P license.
• Experience supporting structural or environmental tests.
• Prior early‑stage startup experience.

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $90,000 – $130,000 per year.