Project Engineer III, Composites

Karman Space & Defense; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Health Savings Account with companycon

Flexible Spending Accounts

Company‑paid life and AD&D insurance

Disability coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Composites Project Engineer III to lead composite manufacturing execution across aerospace programs from development through production. You will drive layup strategies, autoclave/press processes, tooling, and production integration while coordinating across engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers to meet cost, schedule, and technical goals.

The role requires strong CAD experience (CATIA/NX), DoD security clearance eligibility, and a proactive approach to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or related field.
• 4–8 years of aerospace composite manufacturing or production engineering experience.
• Experience with composite layup, autoclave cure, press molding, bonding, and machining.
• Experience interfacing with customers and cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to interpret composite drawings, ply schedules, GD&T requirements.
• Security clearance (DoD Secret) or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Lead composite‑intensive aerospace programs from development to production.
• Translate requirements into layup strategies, cure cycles, tooling needs, and production flow.
• Develop schedules, manage critical paths, and coordinate readiness milestones.
• Create and release work instructions, ply schedules, travelers, and process specs.
• Drive tooling strategy and ensure dimensional accuracy and scalability.
• Resolve real‑time manufacturing issues across layup, cure, bonding, trim, and assembly.
• Interface with customers during design reviews and status updates.
• Coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and suppliers.
• Lead root cause analysis for defects and implement corrective actions.

Skills

Composite manufacturing

Layup processes

Autoclave cure

GD&T

CAD tools (CATIA, NX)

Customer interaction

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical/aerospace/materials engineering

Tools

CATIA

NX

Job description

Job Description

Composites Project Engineer IIIKarman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next‑generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.This role is part of our Hypersonics and Strategic Missile Defense business, which designs, develops, and delivers highly dependable missile systems for hypersonic and strategic missile defense missions. We provide integrated, mission‑ready hardware that brings together multiple technologies into unified systems engineered to perform in demanding operational environments. Our tip‑to‑tail capabilities include payload protection and deployment systems, propulsion systems, aerodynamic interstage systems, separation systems, missile subsystems, shroud systems, launch systems, and payload integration solutions.As a Composites Project Engineer III, you will lead technical execution across composite‑intensive aerospace programs from development through production. You will drive composite manufacturing engineering, tooling strategy, and production integration while serving as the primary technical focal point for advanced composite structures. This role ensures readiness, resolves real‑time manufacturing challenges, and coordinates cross‑functional teams to achieve cost, schedule, and technical goals for high‑performance systems.

Responsibilities

• Leads execution of composite‑intensive aerospace programs, ensuring alignment between design intent, composite manufacturing processes, tooling strategy, and delivery requirements.
• Translates engineering requirements into executable composite manufacturing plans, including layup strategy, material selection, cure cycles, ply sequencing, tooling needs, and production flow.
• Owns integrated program planning for composite structures, developing schedules, managing critical paths, and coordinating production readiness milestones across cross‑functional teams.
• Develops, reviews, and releases composite manufacturing documentation such as work instructions, ply schedules, travelers, and process specifications.
• Leads tooling strategy and execution for composite fabrication and assembly, ensuring dimensional accuracy, thermal stability, repeatability, and scalability.
• Drives composite manufacturing readiness and supports shop floor execution, resolving real‑time production issues across layup, cure, bonding, trim, and assembly operations.
• Serves as the primary technical interface with customers, supporting design reviews, status updates, technical interchange meetings, and issue resolution.
• Co‑ordinates across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and suppliers to ensure material readiness, process alignment, and successful program execution.
• Leads root cause analysis and corrective actions for composite defects and nonconformances, including structural, process, and tooling‑related issues.
• Manages program scope changes and Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs), ensuring clear understanding of impacts on composite design, tooling, schedule, and production flow.

Required Qualifications

• 4‑8 years of experience in aerospace composite manufacturing, composite design support, or production engineering.
• Strong time‑management skills with the ability to manage multiple composite programs simultaneously.
• Deep understanding of composite manufacturing processes including layup, autoclave cure, press molding, bonding, and machining.
• Experience interacting directly with customers and cross‑functional aerospace teams.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with experience leading composite nonconformance resolution and corrective actions.
• Ability to interpret composite engineering drawings, ply schedules, specifications, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or related field.
• Experience supporting composite fabrication methods such as autoclave curing, oven cure systems, or press molding.
• Experience with computer‑aided design (CAD) tools such as CATIA, NX, or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of composite tooling design principles, thermal expansion considerations, and dimensional control.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and nonconformance processes.
• A current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA) for composite structures and production rate scaling.
• Experience in a lean manufacturing or rate production environment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Company‑paid life and AD&D insurance
• Short‑and long‑term disability coverage
• Tuition reimbursement

Karman Space and Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.