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Composites Manufacturing Engineer I

Karman Space & Defense

Karman Space & Defense

Huntington Beach, CA, USA
Posted on Jan 22, 2026
  • Huntington Beach

SUMMARY

The Composites Manufacturing Engineer I will be required to aid in the formulation of manufacturing process designs for challenging, complex aerospace products to meet all customer system requirements. Responsibilities to include but are not limited to: determining bill of materials, aiding in the development of sequence of assembly, solving production problems, analyzing current manufacturing planning processes, designing/reviewing necessary tooling, creating manufacturing documents, and developing working relationships with a multi-disciplined team of people.

ABOUT US

Karman Space & Defense provides concept-to-production solutions for mission-critical systems on spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles, hypersonics, and integrated defense systems. We believe that solving the industry’s most complex and mission-critical challenges requires relentless determination and a willingness to push the boundaries of possibility. Karman Space & Defense brings to bear unparalleled production capabilities, unmatched engineering expertise, and unflinching analysis to render the impossible, possible.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Company Paid Life Insurance
  • 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Paid Holidays
  • Tuition Reimbursement*

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Hands-on responsibility of the day-to-day technical status of assigned projects to ensure team objectives and customer requirements are met.
  • Aid in the formulation of manufacturing processes for aerospace products or systems to meet all customer specified requirements
  • Help develop products process fabrication/control documentation
  • Design/draft for required tooling to meet program production rate and quality requirements.
  • Act as the technical interface with customers for program status updates, program reviews, and problem/solution meetings
  • Assist in root cause analysis for any failure of product requirement and development of corrective action
  • Develop pricing and lead time in support of customer RFQs and/or RFIs.
  • Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident or other status as a U.S. Person

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

  • Familiar with composite manufacturing methodologies – autoclave and press molding experience are a plus
  • Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and blueprint reading experience
  • Modeling/Drafting experience
  • The ability to read and interpret Engineering Specifications (Drawings, Material Specifications, Processing Specifications, etc.)
  • Must be flexible and able to manage multiple priorities on multiple projects simultaneously
  • Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, & PowerPoint) Must have exceptional time management
  • Typically possess 0-2 years of relevant industry experience
  • Must be a US Citizen with the ability to obtain a clearance - current or active security clearance is a plus.

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to work independently with some supervision
  • Ability to work on own initiative with minimal direction
  • Desire to innovate and be an out of the box thinker
  • “Hands-on” engineer mentality with a passion for design/fabrication of cutting-edge hardware
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, root cause analysis and risk assessments with a strong attention to detail
  • Must possess strong analytical approach to problem solving to deliver innovative solutions
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, certain positions may require applicants to 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.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Minimal travel required for this role.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Karman is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.


M-F 8am-5pm