Jobs at Karman Space & Defense

Operate three-axis CNC machines to produce high-precision components on a weekend shift. Responsibilities include preparing tooling and materials, coordinating machine setups, interpreting blueprints, ordering cutters, maintaining equipment, following AS9100 and QMS procedures, supporting continuous improvement, and collaborating with programmers and management to optimize production quality and efficiency.

Develop and maintain production schedules and rolling forecasts aligned with customer deliveries and manufacturing priorities. Coordinate MRP/ERP planning, materials, inventory, workflows, job releases, and travelers across departments. Analyze capacity and bottlenecks, adjust schedules for demand and material constraints, and collaborate with Procurement, Supply Chain, and Engineering to resolve production issues and ensure timely execution.

Leads complex aerospace and defense programs from planning through contract completion. Manages cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives while coordinating engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, quality, contracts, and test teams. Develops integrated plans, manages risks and changes, leads program reviews and readiness activities, interfaces with customers and government stakeholders, and supports proposals, negotiations, estimates, and growth opportunities.

Develop and optimize VTL machining programs for complex, high-precision aerospace components on 3-axis and 5-axis platforms. Responsibilities include creating machining strategies, designing fixtures, selecting cutting tools, maintaining CNC programs, troubleshooting machining issues, interpreting engineering drawings, supporting production schedules, and collaborating with engineering, quality, production, and program management teams. The role also applies AS9100 procedures, supports continuous improvement, and maintains safe, organized work practices.

Operate and maintain CNC milling machines, set up jobs, read blueprints and GD&T, take precise measurements, monitor production quality, perform minor maintenance, and follow safety procedures.

Coordinates quality documentation packages, approval routing, certifications, production records, and compliance reviews to keep aerospace and defense hardware moving on schedule. Serves as a liaison among engineering, machining, production, inspection, and shipping teams; verifies document completeness, formatting, and contract requirements. Provides administrative, word-processing, software training, and compliance support while working in production environments.

Maintains document tracking systems, filing systems, archives, and electronic and hard-copy records. Retrieves and safeguards company and customer documents, follows retention schedules, and supports scanning and storage across departments. Tracks government-furnished and customer property through labeling, inventories, surveys, calibration records, and authorized releases. Coordinates property movement and sales order file closure while keeping storage areas organized and compliant with customer requirements.

Supports the estimating team by gathering project specifications, drawings, and documentation; entering data into estimating software and spreadsheets; preparing bid packages; maintaining estimate and bid records; organizing project files; updating tracking systems; and coordinating with project managers, subcontractors, and other stakeholders to resolve questions and support estimating discussions.

Drives enterprise cybersecurity governance, risk, compliance, and assurance activities. Translates regulatory and contractual requirements into controls and evidence, assesses control effectiveness, manages CMMC, NIST, DFARS, CUI, and SOX ITGC obligations, maintains SSPs and risk documentation, oversees remediation and access governance, and coordinates security reviews for suppliers, SaaS, AI tools, and M&A activities. Partners with technical, business, legal, audit, and executive stakeholders to improve assessment and operational readiness.

Engineers identity security, privileged access, vulnerability management, endpoint and cloud security across a multi-site aerospace and defense environment. The role administers Microsoft security tools, investigates alerts, coordinates remediation, validates technical controls, supports CMMC and NIST assessments, maintains evidence and procedures, and reviews technology projects for security risks. It also contributes to incident response, audit remediation, M&A activities, automation, and mentoring across IT and security teams.

Coordinates production schedules, resource plans, material requirements, and master distribution schedules across sales, logistics, manufacturing, purchasing, and shipping. Monitors inventory and supplier deliveries, integrates customer orders, communicates schedule changes, and reports performance metrics and trends. Supports data-driven planning, manages dependencies and milestones, anticipates delays, and helps optimize workflows for on-time delivery in a defense manufacturing environment.

Operate and set up 3-axis CNC machines to produce high-precision components. Prepare tooling and materials, interpret blueprints and GD&T requirements, perform machine maintenance, manage fixtures, prioritize schedules, and collaborate with programmers to improve setup and production efficiency. Maintain AS9100 and QMS procedures, report quality concerns, support continuous improvement, and uphold a clean, safe manufacturing environment. The role requires overhead crane knowledge and U.S. person status under export control laws.

Lead technical strategy and engineering execution for large-part machining and forming processes across California sites. Drive process innovation, tooling and machine programming, ERP and engineering data system improvements, mentor teams, manage program cost/schedule/technical goals, and support business development and cross-site standardization.

Lead tooling design and process development for metal spin forming and related fabrication. Manage projects end-to-end, implement engineering standards and training, drive continuous improvement (DfSS/Six Sigma), monitor performance metrics, and ensure design for manufacturability across design, operations, and supply chain.

Support and maintain the QMS (AS9100/ISO9001), perform inspections, internal and supplier audits, manage corrective actions, prepare customer quality submittals, support shop-floor assembly and configuration management, and provide training to ensure product conformity and safety.

Supports manufacturing process development for complex composite aerospace products. Responsibilities include tooling design, fabrication and process documentation, producibility analysis, customer updates, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and pricing and lead-time estimates for RFQs and RFIs. The role requires interpreting engineering specifications, blueprints, GD&T, and composite manufacturing methods while managing multiple projects and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

Administer and manage contracts from initiation through closeout, ensuring compliance with FAR/DFARS and DoD requirements. Review, negotiate, and execute contract terms, maintain contract files, coordinate with program management, accounting, and supply chain, and serve as primary contract point of contact for customers and prime contractors. Track deliverables, report contract status, manage risks, and support audits and customer portal documentation.

Leads manufacturing operations across two sites, overseeing CNC machining, fabrication, forming, finishing, and assembly. Drives safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, equipment readiness, capacity planning, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement. Builds high-performing teams, manages operational budgets, inventory, subcontracted labor, and cross-functional collaboration with engineering, quality, supply chain, and program management. Requires extensive precision manufacturing leadership experience, including CNC machining and complex production flows.

Leads engineering strategy and technical execution for large-platform machining, spin forming, and bump forming operations. Oversees multidisciplinary engineering, CNC programming, manufacturing processes, process controls, engineering data systems, staffing, project execution, technology upgrades, and cross-site standardization. Develops personnel, supports business development, and aligns engineering capabilities with customer and company objectives.

Leads complex composites manufacturing engineering efforts for aerospace components, including producibility analysis, conceptual design, tooling development, manufacturing documentation, process controls, customer reviews, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and RFQ/RFI proposals. Collaborates with engineering, production, and customers to meet technical, quality, cost, and production requirements.