Job Summary
Zeta Performance Vehicle Technologies (Zeta PVT) is a growing engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing company in Lorton, Virginia, minutes from Fort Belvoir. We design, prototype, machine, 3D print, and fabricate precision parts and mission hardware for defense and commercial programs, taking concepts from drawing to finished hardware and proving our work with in-house testing.
This is a senior, hands-on prototype role for someone who is truly autonomous: you will take parts from concept sketch or CAD model to finished hardware, program and run the machines, and work at or near an engineering level alongside the owner and our engineers. The shop today runs a manual mill and lathe, a CNC fiber laser, a CNC CO2 laser, a CNC press brake, MIG and TIG welding, and 3D printers, and our next CNC mill purchase will be shaped in part by the experience you bring. When a design can be made better, lighter, or easier to build, we expect you to say so: at Zeta, machinists help shape the design, not just execute it. Hands-on engineering technicians with strong machining backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Responsibilities
- Own prototype builds end to end: plan, fixture, machine, fabricate, inspect, and deliver parts on time from drawings, CAD models, sketches, and evolving designs.
- Program and run CNC equipment (CAM or conversational programming) and set up and operate manual mills and lathes.
- Run our sheet metal side: CNC fiber and CO2 lasers and CNC press brake.
- Fabricate and assemble: cutting, forming, MIG and TIG welding, fixturing, finishing, and mechanical assembly.
- Run 3D printers for prototype parts, including post-processing and finishing.
- Inspect your own work with calipers, micrometers, and gauges, and hold tight tolerances without supervision.
- Contribute basic design work and design-for-manufacturability input with the owner and engineers.
- Help select and stand-up new shop equipment, starting with our next CNC mill.
- Help keep the shop safe, clean, and organized, and support receiving and material handling (30 pounds or more).
Experience
- 5 or more years of hands-on machining experience in prototype, R&D, or job-shop work.
- Able to work autonomously and with a sense of urgency: plan your own approach, sequence your own work, and deliver finished parts without close supervision.
- Able to meet deliverable timelines, including short-notice quick-turn requests from clients.
- CNC programming proficiency (CAM software such as Mastercam or Fusion 360, or strong conversational programming).
- Skilled on manual mills and lathes.
- Able to read and interpret engineering drawings, tolerances, and technical specifications.
- Confident with precision measurement tools (calipers, micrometers, gauges).
- Fabrication experience beyond machining: welding, sheet metal, fixturing, or assembly.
- U.S. citizenship required for work.
- Able to lift and carry 30 pounds or more on a regular basis and stand for extended periods.
Nice to Have
- Basic part design or CAD experience (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar).
- Laser cutting and press brake experience.
- Experience specifying, installing, or standing up new machines.
- Engineering technician background, technical degree, or machining certifications.
Pay, Schedule, and Benefits
- $35 to $45 per hour, based on experience; top of range negotiable for exceptional depth.
- Full-time, Monday to Friday, day shift; some schedule flexibility available.
- Company-paid health insurance for the employee.
- Two weeks paid time off.
How to Apply
Send your resume to [email protected] with the subject line "Senior Prototype Machinist." Tell us briefly about the machines you have programmed and run and the most challenging part you have made.
Zeta Performance Vehicle Technologies is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Work location: in person at our Lorton, VA shop.
Pay: $35.00 - $45.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
