R&D Welding & Fabrication Technician III

Antares; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Antares in Torrance, CA, is seeking an experienced R&D Technician III to lead prototyping, machining, assembly and testing for next‑gen nuclear systems. You will work closely with engineering, fabricate prototypes, and document processes with a focus on quality and safety.

You will mentor technicians, drive continuous improvement, help design reviews, and ensure manufacturing readiness for critical milestones, including some off-site travel as needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a high-performance manufacturing or R&D environment with experience in fabrication, machining, welding, pneumatic/hydraulic systems, test processes, test stand development.
• Understanding of aerospace-grade production/quality standards and a demonstrated track record of operating in them.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings and technical specifications & processes.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with engineering to fabricate prototypes, build and operate test systems while ensuring adherence to specifications, quality standards, and safety protocols.
• Collaborate with engineering to improve designs through rapid iteration to refine manufacturing techniques.
• Participate in design reviews, providing input on long term manufacturability, available resources, and design improvements.
• Autonomously spec, source, and commission equipment, research new best practices, coordinate resources, and report project status.
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of ambitious, quality-focused technicians, fostering a culture of technical excellence, teamwork, and accountability.
• Develop and document best practices for machining, fabrication, assembly, and quality inspection.

Skills

Machining

Fabrication

Welding OTW

Test processes

Quality inspection

Leadership

Team leadership

Problem solving

Communication

Tools

PLM

ERP

Manufacturing planning systems

Job description

About Us

At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.

The Antares team hails from SpaceX, the White House, the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, MIT, Rigetti Computing, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Idaho, Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Savannah River. Antares has raised over $600M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has hundreds of million-dollars on contract with the military services, NASA, and the Department of Energy.

About the Team

As an R&D Technician III, you will be at the forefront of our company’s critical operations in a fast-paced, innovative environment. You will take ownership of prototyping, machining, assembly, testing, and fabrication operations, ensuring attention to detail and proper documentation as we develop next-generation nuclear systems.

Role and Responsibilities

• Work closely with engineering to fabricate prototypes, build and operate test systems while ensuring adherence to specifications, quality standards, and safety protocols.

• Collaborate with engineering to improve designs through rapid iteration to refine manufacturing techniques.

• Participate in design reviews, providing input on long term manufacturability, available resources, and design improvements.

• Autonomously spec, source, and commission equipment, research new best practices, coordinate resources, and report project status.

• Build, lead, and mentor a team of ambitious, quality-focused technicians, fostering a culture of technical excellence, teamwork, and accountability.

• Develop and document best practices for machining, fabrication, assembly, and quality inspection.

• Identify and resolve technical challenges, implementing corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support critical system testing and validation efforts, ensuring products meet performance and reliability requirements. Some of these efforts will require off-site travel.

• Train and upskill technicians on new processes, tools, and industry best practices.

• Performs other related duties as assigned, for the purpose of ensuring an efficient and effective work environment

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years in a high-performance manufacturing or R&D environment with experience in multiple of the following areas: fabrication, machining, welding, pneumatic/hydraulic systems, test processes, test stand development.

• Understanding of aerospace-grade production/quality standards and a demonstrated track record of operating in them.

• Experience interpreting engineering drawings and technical specifications & processes.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with welding techniques, including OTW

• Experience developing complex systems from scratch and the corresponding manufacturing processes

• Experience in aerospace, nuclear, defense, or advanced manufacturing industries.

• Knowledge of materials science, precision machining, and quality inspection techniques.

• Hands-on experience with fluid, gas, or high-voltage systems.

• Experience with automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing techniques.

• Background in process optimization and lean manufacturing principles.

• Familiarity with PLM, ERP, and manufacturing planning systems.

• Strong problem-solving skills with a hands-on approach to technical challenges.

• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to build and coordinate a high-performing team.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones.

• The job may require frequently lifting up to 50 lbs and performing physically demanding tasks as needed.

Technician II Pay Range: $31.50 - $38.50

Technician III Pay Range: $41.40 - $50.60

Location

We are located in Torrance, CA in a 322,000 square foot, brand new facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways. Our facility is in the heart of Los Angeles' vibrant emerging tech ecosystem alongside many other high growth startups and enterprises.

Culture

At Antares, we like to specifically tie each role to our founding document’s set of values–here are the top five cultural values we think you should believe at your core to be successful:

• Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. “If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete.” Over-optimizing the components often degrades the system

• Obsess over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycle

• Be Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's “how it's always been done”

• Go Where the Work I s - Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if that means hopping on a plane. If you can’t make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time together

• Operate in the Grey - Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumption

Equal Opportunity

Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.