Maintain a high-functioning prototyping environment as the technical authority, ensuring quality and efficiency while leading a team of technicians.
STARK is a new kind of defence technology company, revolutionizing the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective.
As our Werkstattmeister (Workshop Lead), you are the technical authority on the R&D shop floor. Your mission is to maintain a high-functioning prototyping environment that bridges the gap between digital design and physical testing.
You will lead a small team of 3–4 technicians and act as the "gatekeeper" of our workshop standards. You balance the speed of R&D with the necessity of order: you ensure tools are returned, machines are respected, and safety is never compromised. You aren't just a supervisor; you are an enabler who provides the guidance and structure engineers need to build and test their designs effectively before they move into series production.
Ownership of the Floor: You define and enforce the standards for cleanliness, tool placement, and machine usage. You ensure the workshop remains organized enough to remain productive.
Asset Maintenance: You own the maintenance cycles for our CNC portal, manual lathe, and large 3D printing farm (FDM, Resin, and SLS/PA11).
Technical Guidance: You provide hands-on support and "over-the-shoulder" guidance to engineers. You ensure they use the equipment correctly and help them troubleshoot physical build issues.
Inventory & Sourcing: You manage the stock of R&D materials and hardware. You will be a key stakeholder in selecting and commissioning our future high-end metal CNC machinery.
Execution: Lead the team in building complex prototypes, from UAV airframes to radio link towers and specialized test stands, supporting the Engineers that designed builds.
Additive Farm Oversight: Ensure the printing farm is running efficiently, prioritizing jobs based on R&D needs and ensuring the quality of high-strength PA11 SLS parts.
Process Transition: Help refine prototyping workflows so that designs can be successfully handed over to the production workshop.
Certified Master Craftsman (Meister) or Senior Technician in a mechanical field (e.g., Feinwerkmechanik, Industriemechanik, Modellbau, or Aviation/Fluggerätmechanik).
Experience in a prototyping or R&D environment where you have managed both machines and people.
Machining: Strong hands-on experience with manual lathes and CNC machines (milling/portal).
Additive Manufacturing: Solid understanding of FDM and Resin processes. Practical experience with SLS (PA11) for functional parts is a strong advantage.
Familiar with CAD/CAM: Ability to work with CATIA / 3DEXPERIENCE to review designs to prepare manufacturing steps is a plus.
Standards: A background in aviation or defense-related manufacturing standards is a big plus.
The "Anchor" of the Shop: You have the confidence to enforce shop floor rules and ensure discipline regarding tools and safety, but you do it to help the team, not to hinder them.
Practical Leadership: You understand that R&D requires flexibility. You aim for a "clean-as-you-go" culture that supports speed rather than a rigid "sterile lab" mentality.
Quality & Pride: You take personal pride in the state of the workshop and the quality of the prototypes that leave it.
STARK is a defense technology company that designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance unmanned systems to enhance the deployment of autonomous technologies across various domains. Our focus is on delivering software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective solutions that give NATO Allies a decisive advantage in contested environments, addressing today's rising threats.
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