Drone Assembly & Fabrication Technician

About the role

This role is designed for a skilled drone assembly and fabrication technician who can build interceptor drones and run the fabrication lab that feeds production.

Askari is looking for hands-on mechanical technicians to join our assembly and fabrication effort full time at our Atlanta, Georgia facility. You will assemble airframes and mechanical subsystems, fasten and torque to spec, and produce parts on our 3D printers, laser cutters, and desktop CNC machines.

This is an all-in position, and the stakes are real. The interceptors you build ship to real operators and are expected to perform in some of the most demanding environments on Earth. We are looking for high-agency technicians who relentlessly strive for perfection, because there is no margin for sloppy work. Workmanship and discipline are the standard on every unit that leaves your bench.

You will operate and tune our fabrication tooling from day one, dialing in FDM and SLA prints, laser cutting, and CNC jobs, and you will grow into full ownership of the fab lab as the program scales. This position will likely start on the bench building and iterating on prototypes alongside our engineers, then help translate those builds into repeatable, higher-volume production within the next few months.

No formal industry experience is required. Serious hobbyist experience building drones and RC aircraft is strongly preferred, because it proves both the skill and the obsession this work demands.

For your first year, this role is focused entirely on the craft of building. We are a small team growing fast, and the technicians who prove themselves will have every opportunity to grow into leaders.

What you'll do

You will assemble, fabricate, modify, and troubleshoot interceptor drones from raw airframes and printed parts through complete, flight-ready systems.

You will focus on tasks in all of the following areas:

• End-to-End Drone Assembly: Assemble interceptor drones end to end, from raw airframes and printed parts to complete, flight-ready systems.
• Mechanical Subsystems: Build and integrate mechanical subsystems, including airframes, mounts, brackets, mechanisms, propulsion hardware, and payload structures.
• Precision Fastening & Torque: Fasten and torque to spec using precision hand tools, including M2, M3, M5, and M8 drivers, and apply threadlocker and retaining compounds per build documentation.
• 3D Printing: Operate and tune FDM and SLA 3D printers, including slicer setup, material selection, supports, orientation, and print troubleshooting.
• Laser Cutting & Desktop CNC: Cut and machine plastics, carbon fiber, and wood on laser cutters and desktop CNC machines, including fixturing and toolpath setup.
• Post-Processing: Post-process fabricated parts through sanding, drilling, tapping, bonding, and finishing to tolerance.
• Fab Lab Ownership: Maintain, calibrate, and stock the fabrication tooling and consumables, growing into full ownership of the fab lab.
• Drawings & CAD: Read and work from drawings, CAD models, and assembly instructions.
• Jigs & Fixtures: Fabricate jigs, fixtures, and shop aids that speed up and error-proof the build.
• Documentation & Traceability: Follow and help refine assembly travelers, work instructions, and quality records so every unit is consistent and traceable.
• Clean Build Environment: Maintain a clean, organized, and FOD-free work area.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent.
• Mechanical Assembly: Demonstrated mechanical assembly skill and comfort with precision hand tools, or the clear aptitude and drive to master it fast.
• 3D Printing: Hands-on experience operating FDM and/or SLA 3D printers, including slicing and print tuning.
• Hands-On Build Experience: Proven hands-on track record building, modifying, or repairing drones, RC airplanes, robotics, 3D printers, RC cars, boats, or similar mechanical systems. Show us what you have built.
• Laser Cutting & Desktop CNC: Experience operating laser cutters and desktop CNC machines to cut plastics, carbon fiber, and wood.
• Technical Documentation: Ability to read and follow drawings, CAD models, and assembly instructions.
• Fasteners & Tolerances: Familiarity with fasteners, threadlocking compounds, torque specifications, and tolerances.
• Workmanship: Sharp attention to detail and pride in clean, precise, inspection-ready work.
• UAS Interest: A genuine love for UAS and drones and the drive to build the best in the world.
• Operating Tempo: Willingness to go all in within a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.
• Location: Ability to work on site full time at our Atlanta, Georgia facility.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in any of the following areas is a plus:

• FPV & RC Aircraft: Extensive experience building and repairing FPV drones, multirotors, or fixed-wing RC aircraft.
• Composites: Experience with carbon fiber and composite fabrication, bonding, and finishing.
• Slicer Software: Proficiency with slicer software for FDM and SLA, including Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Lychee, or related tools.
• Basic CAD: Basic CAD skills for designing and modifying parts, fixtures, and shop aids.
• Fabrication Tooling: Experience maintaining or calibrating fabrication tooling.
• Personal Build Projects: Personal build projects you are proud of, from RC aircraft to robotics to custom mechanical builds.
• Leadership Growth: Interest in growing into a fab lab lead or production role as the team scales.

This position may involve access to technology, material, technical data, defense articles, or information subject to U.S. export-control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and applicable contract requirements. Assignment to covered work is contingent upon the company’s ability to verify that the candidate is authorized to receive access to such items or information, including by qualifying as a “U.S. person” as defined in 22 C.F.R. § 120.62, or through any required export-control authorization, notice, approval, or access-control process.

Askari Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.