How 3D Alliances Is Filling the Additive Manufacturing Skills Gap

Recruiting for 3D Printing Takes More Than a Job Board

The additive manufacturing industry has a hiring problem. Not because there are no candidates, but because the wrong people keep showing up. Gil Lavi, founder of 3D Alliances, says the gap comes down to one thing: most recruiters do not understand the market they are staffing.

3D Alliances runs a network of over 3,100 3D printing resellers across 81 countries. The company helps hardware, software, and material firms expand into new markets, optimize channel sales, and, increasingly, fill critical roles. Lavi started the business after two decades working inside the AM industry himself, and he built the talent acquisition practice around that firsthand knowledge.

What Makes 3D Alliances Different From Other Recruiters

Eight of the company's 11 employees previously worked at 3D printing firms or resellers. Lavi says that background changes every conversation. "When someone asks me to recruit a channel manager, well, I was a channel manager for 20 years. I know all the ins and outs: how it works, the internal politics, the most important qualities to find in a person."

That depth of experience matters most when a client does not yet know what it needs. Lavi described a recent case where a candidate based in South Korea reached out looking for work. Instead of waiting for a posted opening, Lavi pitched European and American companies on expanding into the Korean market. Some said the region was not a priority. Others agreed to interview the candidate once they saw his profile. The role was created before it officially existed.

The Roles in Highest Demand Right Now

Lavi sees production-focused engineering roles surging as the industry shifts from prototyping to serial manufacturing. Application engineers, process engineers, and manufacturing engineers are all hard to find, he said. He also expects demand to keep climbing in automation, robotics, AI, and digital manufacturing over the next five to ten years.

The push toward production also reflects a change in how AM companies compete. Lower-cost consumer machines from brands like Bambu Lab have made prototyping accessible to almost anyone. Established manufacturers are now chasing industrial contracts where margins are higher and barriers to entry steeper.

Two Clients, Two Hiring Challenges

XJET, an Israeli metal and ceramic 3D printing company, turned to 3D Alliances after expanding its channel partner network across Asia. The company needed a Senior Regional Sales Manager to manage those partners and handle strategic accounts. According to XJET CEO Guy Zimmerman, 3D Alliances' familiarity with the technology and existing channel relationships accelerated the hire.

Mastrex, a US-based LPBF machine maker, faced a different problem: it had no North American sales or pre-sales presence at all. The company needed to build that team from scratch. CEO Ilay Fridland said 3D Alliances filled the positions within weeks, letting Mastrex move forward with customer outreach.

The Bottom Line

Hiring in additive manufacturing is not a generic HR problem. It requires understanding material science, channel dynamics, and regional market conditions all at once. 3D Alliances' model leans on industry veterans who already know those contexts. Whether that approach scales remains to be seen. For now, it is filling roles that conventional recruiters cannot.