Senior Composites Specialist, Research & Development

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.  

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic. 

We're not looking for someone who follows a layup schedule. We're looking for someone who wrote one, questioned it, and made it better. As a Senior Composites Technician, you'll sit at the intersection of materials science and hands-on fabrication, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our engineering team to push the boundaries of what's possible in aircraft manufacturing.

What You'll Do

• Develop and optimize composite manufacturing processes with a sharp eye on material behavior, cure kinetics, and process-structure-property relationships

• Fabricate and test advanced aircraft components and tooling using both conventional and novel manufacturing methods

• Conduct hands-on material characterization including mechanical testing, material property evaluation, and process validation

• Author shop procedures and technical documentation that reflect genuine expertise, not just steps copied from a datasheet

• Partner with engineers to investigate failures, qualify new materials, and develop first-of-kind processes where the answer isn't always known yet

• Foster a manufacturing culture built around curiosity, rigor, and continuous improvement

What You Bring

• 5+ years of deep, hands-on composites experience, with colleagues who come to you when something doesn't behave the way it should

• You think in terms of resin systems, cure cycles, fiber architecture, and void content, not just layup sequences

• As comfortable discussing the chemistry behind a prepreg system as you are running an autoclave or troubleshooting a bonded joint

• Proven ability to take ownership of undefined problems and turn them into documented, repeatable solutions

• Thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where structure is built, not given

• Experience with material characterization, mechanical testing, or process development in an R&D or advanced manufacturing setting is a strong plus

Compensation Range: 

• $60k-120K salary + Equity

As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and trustworthy work environment, Swarm Aero conducts a thorough screening of prospective employees. Candidates will be subject to a comprehensive background verification process as a prerequisite for employment. 

To conform to U.S. Government controlled technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.