Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Composites

Jobot; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) matching

PTO and holidays

Job summary

Jobot is hiring a Manufacturing Engineer – Aerospace Composites in Santa Ana, CA, onsite. You will own the design, development, and optimization of advanced composite manufacturing processes for flight-critical hardware, including hand layup, filament winding, bonding, and cure processes.

This role requires deep aerospace composites experience and the ability to lead cross-functional teams in a DoD/ITAR environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of technical experience with composites and/or aerospace component production or repair.
• US Person status required (ITAR) and ability to obtain clearance if required.
• Senior through Principal levels considered.
• BS in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering (or related discipline).

Responsibilities

• Own design, development, and optimization of advanced composite manufacturing processes for flight-critical aerospace hardware.
• Lead development, qualification, and scale-up of composite processes: hand layup, filament winding, bonding and assembly, and oven/autoclave cure.
• Establish and validate process parameters and author specs, work instructions, and control plans.
• Provide hands-on production troubleshooting and drive yield improvement, defect reduction, and cost optimization through process controls.
• Lead RCCA investigations for nonconformances using DMAIC or 8D and support quoting with cost estimates and risk assessments.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians and collaborate on DFM/DFA for composite structures.

Skills

Composite materials

Aerospace manufacturing

Leadership

Education

BS in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Chemical/Aerospace Eng

Tools

SolidWorks

MS Office

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer — Aerospace Composites (Hand Layup / Filament Winding / Bonded Assembly) — $140k to $175k Base — Santa Ana, CA / Onsite — Tier 1 Aerospace Supplier

This Jobot Job is hosted by: Billy Surch

Salary: $150,000 - $180,000 per year

A bit about us:

Founded over 50 years ago and based in Southern California, we are a Tier 1 aerospace and defense supplier of flight‑critical, highly‑engineered components and complex assemblies for military and space applications. We’re recognized as a premier source of proprietary tanks, extendable refueling probes, landing gear, airframe structures, and composites, with life‑limited part expertise extending into rotorcraft rotor and power transmission systems. Much of the hardware we build has flown on our customers’ platforms for decades, making us one of the more capable independent suppliers in the region.

Why join us?

• Base salary $140k–$175k+
• Medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k)
• Generous PTO, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Onsite (fully onsite — hands‑on process work and classified/ITAR environment)
• Full‑lifecycle process ownership — you drive NPI, qualification, and continuous improvement, not just execution
• Broad, stable program base across military and space platforms with long‑running customer relationships
• SME / technical authority track with room to mentor and lead engineering change initiatives

Job Details:

• You’ll own the design, development, and optimization of advanced composite manufacturing processes for flight‑critical aerospace hardware — leading process definition and control across multiple fabrication methods and serving as the primary interface between engineering, operations, quality, and customers.
• Lead development, qualification, and scale‑up of composite processes: hand layup, filament winding, bonding and assembly, and oven/autoclave cure
• Establish and validate process parameters (cure cycles, resin flow, fiber volume fraction, consolidation pressure, temperature profiles) and author specs, work instructions, and control plans
• Provide hands‑on production troubleshooting and drive yield improvement, defect reduction, and cost optimization through process controls
• Lead RCCA investigations for nonconformances using DMAIC or 8D, and support quoting with cost estimates and technical risk assessments
• Act as SME and mentor to junior engineers and technicians, and collaborate with design engineering on DFM/DFA for composite structures and bonded assemblies

Looking for:

• U.S. Person status required (ITAR); ability to meet DoD security standards and obtain a clearance if required.
• 15+ years of technical experience with composites and/or aerospace component production or repair.
• BS in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering (or related discipline); HS Diploma/GED with equivalent composite/aerospace manufacturing experience also considered.
• Senior through Principal levels considered.

Experience in any of the following areas welcomed:

• Pressure vessels and high‑performance composite systems
• Autoclave and oven cure processing
• Six Sigma, ACE, Lean, DMAIC / continuous improvement
• Laminate schedule and OEM specification interpretation
• SolidWorks and MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Access)

Jobot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide an inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Jobot also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is Jobot’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

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