Composite Technician and Specialist

Position Function:

Mississippi State University (MSU) is seeking a composite technician and specialist based at their Advanced Composites Institute (ACI) in Starkville, MS. The chosen candidate will serve in a multi-faceted role as a composite technician and an area specialist in a state-of-the-art large-scale composite prototyping facility. He or she will execute, develop, and improve composite manufacturing technologies that are easily transferred to industry partners for implementation, following site AS9100 quality and safety requirements. Further, he or she will serve in a specialist role that encompasses achieving and maintaining Subject Matter Expertise and leadership in one or more critical areas of the facility, including, but not limited to, composite training (K12-industrial WFD), additive manufacturing, advanced CNC machining, inventory management, equipment management, quality management, safety management, or facilities management.

Salary Grade:  15

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

The ACI is a highly respected university and industry applied research asset focused on pioneering transformational composite technologies in a variety of critical sectors. The Institute is equipped and positioned to support disruptive, transdisciplinary programs that address fundamental upstream and broader downstream needs in aerospace, defense, automotive, marine, energy, and other critical markets. The Institute dramatically enhances MSU’s ability to design, fabricate, and test various full-scale, light-weight composite vehicles and components. The ACI serves as the focal point of inter-departmental research and education by providing exposure to industry focused advanced research in a cooperative environment working directly with technology leading experts. The Institute also operates the co-located Mississippi Advanced Composites (MAC) Training Center focused on providing advanced classroom and hands-on composites training in an industrial environment, at industrial scale, with industrial equipment to deliver engineers and technicians prepared to contribute on day-one at manufacturing sites.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Perform kitting, lay-up, bagging, curing, and final assembly of composite parts.
2. Prepare tools and molds for lay-up
3. Work with dry carbon fiber and glass fiber based materials.
4. Cut, layup, form and assemble dry fabrics to produce preforms as directed.
5. Perform resin infusion processing of dry fiber preforms as directed.
6. Complete all planning paperwork throughout the production process.
7. Perform daily housekeeping of work area.
8. Conduct tours, demonstrations, and presentations in support of ACI public relations, marketing, business development, and outreach programs.
9. Oversee fabrication and test apparatus
10. Provide design input to enhance research and manufacturing equipment.
11. Oversee assembly and/or installation of equipment and instrumentation
12. Coordinate fabrication by outside vendors to assure acceptability of products.
13. Develop infrastructure to facilitate provision of electrical, thermal, and mechanical services to high bay and laboratories.
14. Perform related duties as assigned.

Area Specialist*
*Specific duties and responsibilities depend on area of assignment. Examples provided below:

Lead Hands-on Trainer:
1. Serve as lead hands-on trainer working closely with Lead Training Engineer
2. Provide multi-level hands-on training to include elementary, middle, and high school programs; community college programs; undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, and faculty programs; and industrial new-entry and re-entry workforce programs.
3. Develop palatable and trainable curricula for all levels of trainees
4. Maintain a stocked and prepared training area and assist with coordination of training schedules
5. Possess, or willing to get, a Commercial Drivers License

CNC Specialist:
1. Operate, maintain, and improve state-of-the-art 5-axis machining capability
2. Evaluate and develop novel advanced composite tooling via subtractive manufacturing
3. Serve as SME/Trainer for MAC Training Center
4. Engage and collab