Advanced Fabrication and Machining Specialist

The Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) is currently seeking talented candidates for our Advanced Fabrication and Machining Specialist (AFMS) position at our Silver Springs, NV location. At NATC, the AFMS supports a team of engineers who design, manufacture, and test innovative automotive mobility solutions.

Founded in 1957, the Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) is a privately owned, independent test, evaluation, design and engineering facility offering development and certification testing to customers worldwide.

NATC's location in the great basin of Nevada allows our team to access terrain that can represent 85% of the world within a 150-mile radius, providing an excellent test bed for off-road mobility. NATC's operational area includes 1200 sq. miles of natural terrain, that when coupled with 6,200 acres of privately owned test courses, create an unparalleled testing area available to our engineers to innovate and solve our customer's problems. NATC has completed thousands of test programs as a one-stop shop for automotive development.

Position Summary:

NATC is seeking a talented Advanced Fabrication and Machining Specialist (AFMS) to perform the design, execution, and oversight of vehicle prototype builds, systems, upgrades, and testing. At NATC, the AFMS is responsible for acting as the liaison between the engineering and operations department for ensuring the effective real-world production of conceptual designs. The FMS crafts components and products by manipulating materials using various tools and machines, including CNC equipment, welding equipment, often working from blueprints and specifications. This position requires effective communication and collaboration to ensure successful manufacturing of developmental/prototype components, and ensure that theoretical designs are feasible for real-world application and integrations. This role goes beyond fabrication and CAD design and will be directly improving the company's efficiency, precision, and capabilities by ensuring our tooling, equipment, and fabrication processes meet the highest industry standards.

This position supervises and trains personnel in the production of new and replacement parts in making repairs of equipment and the construction of prototypes. They manage plans and lays out work using a variety of hand tools and precision measuring instruments. Sets up and operates standard machine tools, shapes metal parts to close tolerances, makes standard shop computations relating to dimensions of work, tooling, feeds and speeds of machining. Provides technical instruction and ensures that safe work practices and policies are followed.

This role is crucial for translating designs into tangible products and involves clear communication, feedback and collaboration within the AFMS's technical areas of expertise, problem solving when issues arise during the manufacturing process, and understanding machine capabilities and limitations. This role is critical for providing one on one interactions with engineers and fabricators, taking responsibility/ownership of ensuring design intent is met, as well as quality control checking weldments.

In some cases during surge activities or low points in production throughput of NATC's fabrication/machining department, the AFMS may be tasked with completing fundamental and basic/essential functions within the shop.

Essential Functions:

1. Read detailed drawings or files, such as blueprints, sketches, and those for computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).
2. Set up, operate, and disassemble manual, automatic, and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools.
3. Align, secure, and adjust cutting tools and work pieces.
4. Manage the 3D printing capability at NATC to be utilized for prototypes, and end user components.
5. Vehicle Prototyping & Upgrades. Lead the design and fabrication of cutting-edge vehicle prototypes, ensuring they meet or exceed performance and durability standards.
6. Hands-On Fabrication & Consulting. Execute high precision welding, machining, and assembly while providing technical consulting on best practices and materials.
7. Testing & Performance Validation. Oversee prototype testing to confirm structural integrity, durability, and compliance with company standards.
8. Tooling Acquisition & Implementation. Evaluate, procure, and integrate new tooling and equipment that enhance production capabilities and precision, driving overall performance improvements.
9. Process Improvement & Problem Solving. Identify and implement better fabrication techniques, reducing waste, increasing efficiency, and ensuring the highest quality output.
10. Sourcing and Procurement of components, raw materials, and parts. Maintaining relationships with any venders that provide services that NATC may need to use to ensure all project successes and timelines.
11. Team Leadership & Development. Train and mentor fabricators and engineers, ensuring best practices are followed and projects are completed on schedule.
12. Working with mechanics to improve build quality, and solve problems.
13. Provides accurate in-house estimates of hours and materials for planned jobs. Work directly with personnel in diagnosing and repairing/maintaining a variety of heavy vehicles, including but not limited to prototype vehicles or construction equipment.
14. Must be able to read and understand technical manuals, design specifications and blueprints.
15. Assist with development of concepts for component repairs, vehicle modifications, or new component designs by calculating dimensions and tolerances using knowledge of mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and Vernier calipers.
16. Machines parts to specifications using machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders.
17. Maintains industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, shop mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.
18. Inspects finished product for conformance to specifications and approves the work of other technicians.
19. Able to select and work with a variety of materials including high strength aluminum alloys, mild steel, and high-strength steel alloys.
20. Assists with technical data package development including 3D CAD parts and assemblies, 2D drawings, and Bills of Materials (BOM).
21. Responsible for enforcement of the Company's Safety Plan and for safe work practices.
22. Supports technical meetings and internal design review.

Marginal Functions:

1. Follow up with client/customer to ensure that projects/activities have all necessary documentation.
2. May be required to operate vehicles or material handling equipment such as forklifts or overhead cranes.
3. Travel to customer's facility to support technical reviews, meetings, shop visits, or project related off-site assignments.
4. Forecasts production processes and cost estimates based on prototype part fabrication and installation.
5. Assist in special projects.

Pay:

$60,000-$90,000

Minimum Qualifications:

1. High school graduate or equivalent with ten (10) years fabrication experience and applicable certifications; or the ability to obtain certifications within one (1) year of satisfactory employment.
2. Must be able to operate various vehicles including but not limited to: light trucks, passenger cars, manual and automatic transmissions, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, and equipment.
3. Must possess a current Nevada Commercial Driver's License (CDL) or be able to obtain within 1 year of employment.
4. Must have tools and the ability to work hands on with them.
5. Must possess complete knowledge of all related skill area machines, equipment and hand tools.
6. Must possess a working knowledge of the properties of common metals, structural metals, sheet metal repairs and modifications to include fabrication of sheet metal parts.
7. Must have a working knowledge of conventional and precision measuring instruments.
8. Must possess general knowledge of fabrication, machining and welding equipment maintenance.
9. Must have strong communication skills with the ability to communicate with a wide variety of internal/external customers and staff.
10. Must be able to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
11. Must be professional, personable, and able to relate well with employees at all levels.
12. Must have excellent organization and time management skills.
13. Must be flexible and able to handle multiple priorities, with the ability to adjust to high pressure and rapidly changing business conditions.
14. Able to work in excess of 40 hours per week with varied work shifts.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Report creation, and report generation skills using Microsoft PowerPoint.
2. Ability to use 3D CAD software such as Solidworks or ProE/CREO, Windchill, to develop concepts, create 3D geometry, and generate dimensioned drawings and visual aids to support fabrication.
3. Knowledge of material properties for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and selection of applicable processes.
4. Knowledge of weld wire and filler materials applications for various steel and aluminum alloys including welding symbols.
5. Able to research, identify, and apply appropriate welding materials and procedures for exotic materials.
6. Ability to manage heat to minimize distortion or cracking during welding.
7. Familiar with painting, coating, and other finishing processes.
8. Knowledge of laser, plasma and water jet cutting processes.
9. Knowledge of 3D laser scanning and data download/conversion.
10. Familiar with CNC processes and associated file formats.

Work Conditions:

1. Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
2. Perform tasks in the field in extreme temperature and/or environmental conditions.

AAP/EEO Statement:

Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) values a diverse workforce and as an Equal Opportunity Employer, NATC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status legally protected by Federal, State, or Local law. NATC assures you that your opportunity with this Company depends solely on your qualifications and other job-related factors.

Important Notice:

This position is not limited to those duties in the job description. Duties and responsibilities can be changed, expanded, reduced, or deleted to meet the business needs of NATC. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Notify Human Resources if you require any accommodation(s) to perform any of the essential functions of this position.

All employees of this Company are employees at will and, as such, are free to resign at any time without reason. The Company, likewise, retains the right to terminate an employee's employment at any time with or without reason or notice. Nothing contained in this job description or any other document provided to the employee is intended to be, nor should it be, construed as a guarantee that employment or any benefit will be continued for any period of time. Any salary figures provided to an employee in annual or monthly terms are stated for the sake of convenience or to facilitate comparisons and are not intended and do not create an employment contract for any specific period of time.

This position is currently accepting applications.

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