SAR Engineering Specialist

Position Summary

The SAR Engineering Specialist (Pre-Award) is a hybrid engineering, manufacturing, and pricing role supporting Source Approval Request (SAR) pursuits and customer quotes at Aereos, Inc. (dba Euless Aero Components). Partnering with the SAR Account Manager and capture team, the role determines whether Aereos can manufacture, repair, overhaul, upgrade, or sustain restricted aerospace and defense parts for OEMs (e.g., Honeywell, Parker, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE, GE Aerospace), prime contractors, and U.S. Government customers — and produces the engineering content of competitive SAR submissions.

The primary mission is manufacturability assessment: translating customer RFQs, technical data packages, and drawings into a credible go / no-go answer and a defensible path to qualification. When OEM data is unavailable or incomplete, the role performs reverse engineering as a last-resort enabler. The position bridges engineering, estimating, and production, working closely with quality, operations, sales, and finance.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturability Assessment (Pre-Award SAR Pursuits)

• Review customer RFQs, drawings, 3D models, specifications, and technical data packages to determine manufacturability against Aereos / Euless Aero Components capabilities; deliver clear go / no-go assessments with documented rationale, capability gaps, and proposed mitigation.
• Identify tooling, fixture, inspection, material, special-process, and outside-processing requirements needed to manufacture or qualify the part.
• Flag technical and qualification risks early, including tight-tolerance features, special processes, long-lead material, regulated coatings or treatments, and FAI feasibility, in time to inform pricing, schedule, and customer commitments.

SAR Engineering & Technical Data Package Support

• Develop the engineering content of SAR submissions: process narratives, qualification and conformance test plans, inspection plans, AS9102 first article documentation, and supporting technical evidence.
• Coordinate with Quality on special-process qualification, NADCAP-controlled operations, and aerospace documentation (Certificates of Conformance, traceability, material and special-process certifications).
• Support customer source approval visits, qualification audits, and technical reviews; prepare data, host customer engineering teams, and drive action-item closure.

Estimating & Pricing (Pre-Award)

• Develop machining run times, setup estimates, labor hours, and manufacturing cost inputs; partner with the Director of Manufacturing on current in-house lead times.
• Partner with the SAR Account Manager and Finance on cost build-ups; ensure estimates reflect material, process, qualification, and outside-processing realities, and surface technical risks during quote and proposal review.

Reverse Engineering (If Needed)

• Perform reverse engineering only when customer-provided OEM technical data is unavailable or insufficient to support a credible SAR submission.
• Apply standard methods as required — dimensional inspection (CMM, 3D scanning), material analysis coordination, drawing recreation, and GD&T from measurement data — and document methodology, sample basis, and findings for customer review.

Process Planning & Manufacturing Documentation

• Create routers / travelers, operation sheets, inspection sheets, SOPs, and shop-floor support documentation for proposed SAR programs and qualification builds.
• Develop manufacturing concepts, process flows, and fixture / tooling concepts for machining, assembly, and repair operations associated with SAR opportunities.
• Support first-run manufacturing, production prove-outs, and qualification sample builds tied to SAR approval.

CAD Modeling, CAD/CAM & CNC Programming Support

• Create and maintain 3D CAD models and manufacturing technical data supporting SAR submissions and qualification builds.
• Support multi-axis (3-, 4-, and 5-axis) CNC programming, CAD / CAM, and remote posting to machine tools for qualification and first-article parts.
• Create setup documentation and operator support materials; support process optimization for machining efficiency and repeatability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace, or related engineering discipline — or an equivalent combination of education and hands-on aerospace manufacturing experience.
• 5 years of aerospace manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, and / or estimating experience.
• Strong understanding of CNC machining processes (3-, 4-, and 5-axis milling and turning).
• Strong GD&T fluency and blueprint interpretation.
• Familiarity with AS9100 manufacturing environments and aerospace quality documentation expectations.
• Comfortable working across office and shop-floor environments; able to translate between engineering, estimating, and production audiences.
• S. Person status as defined by ITAR (22 CFR 120.62) is required due to access to ITAR-controlled technical data.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of SAR (Source Approval Request) package content and the supporting engineering and inspection documentation required for qualification.
• Hands-on reverse engineering experience (CMM, 3D scanning, drawing recreation, GD&T from inspection data).
• CAD / CAM proficiency in SolidWorks, Mastercam, or comparable tools.
• Familiarity with NADCAP-controlled special processes (heat treat, plating, NDT, welding, etc.).
• Experience creating travelers, routers, operation sheets, and inspection documentation.
• Experience with fixture and tooling concepts for tight-tolerance aerospace hardware.
• Ability to manage multiple SAR pursuits and priorities simultaneously.

Travel & Work Location

• Role based out of Euless Aero Components in Euless, TX.
• Expected travel: approximately 15–25% domestic for customer source approval visits, qualification audits, sales meetings, and trade shows. Surges possible around major SAR pursuits or qualification milestones.