Lead Process Engineer

About the role

This is a ground-floor opportunity to help build something that has never been done before. You would join as a founding engineer and become Arcturus’ first processing engineer, with the chance to define the company’s strategy from the beginning.

Responsibilities

• Own Arcturus’ R&D-to-pilot process flow, from feedstock handling and preparation through LPBF/DED processing, carbon infusion or growth steps, post-processing, QA controls, documentation, and pilot readiness.
• Translate early technical learnings into repeatable process recipes, standard work, process flow diagrams, and controlled operating procedures.
• Define critical process parameters and critical quality attributes across each step of the conductor manufacturing flow.
• Establish pragmatic process controls that preserve electrical conductivity, thermal performance, mechanical integrity, and nanomaterial stability.
• Partner with additive manufacturing and nanomaterials leads to ensure each process step is technically sound, measurable, and scalable.
• Build and run a disciplined design of experiments (DOE) cadence to expand process windows, improve repeatability, increase yield, and reduce cycle time.
• Develop process maps that connect feedstock, atmosphere, laser parameters, thermal history, growth or infusion conditions, and post-processing to final material performance.
• Identify bottlenecks, failure modes, and sources of variation, then drive practical solutions that improve consistency and throughput.
• Use data analysis, structured root-cause methods, and hands-on experimentation to troubleshoot failed builds, inconsistent samples, or missed performance targets.
• Help decide when a process is ready to move from exploratory R&D to controlled development and eventually pilot production.
• Build startup-appropriate quality systems, including control plans, lot tracking, travelers, acceptance criteria, test plans, and traceable build records.
• Write and maintain process specifications, work instructions, checklists, and documentation that technicians and engineers can actually use.
• Define sample release criteria for internal testing, third-party validation, customer demos, and pilot programs.
• Support process qualification plans for conductor materials, printed parts, and wire forms as Arcturus moves toward external validation.
• Track process health metrics such as yield, repeatability, build success rate, cycle time, material usage, and throughput.
• Cross-functionally lead the team, partnering closely with nanomaterials, additive manufacturing, characterization, mechanical, and product engineering to tie process variables to conductivity, thermal performance, mechanical properties, and reliability.
• Hire and lead process engineers, technicians, and operators as the team scales.
• Contribute to invention disclosures, patent strategy, and internal technical documentation with a high bar for rigor and clarity.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in materials science, metallurgical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, physics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of hands-on process engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials processing, or advanced process development experience.
• Deep experience developing and scaling complex manufacturing processes in a hardware, materials, or advanced manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of process-structure-property relationships in metals, metal matrix composites, or other high-performance material systems.
• Experience using DOE, statistical analysis, process controls, and structured root-cause methods to improve yield, repeatability, and performance.
• Strong scientific and technical writing skills, including clear documentation of process development, test plans, specifications, and invention disclosures.