Werkstattmeister (Workshop Lead)

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.

Responsibilities

Workshop Management & Authority

• 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.

Prototyping & Assembly

• 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.

Technical Background

• 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.