Materials & Process Engineering II – TPS, Sealants, Coatings & Adhesives

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and qualify application and curing processes for TPS, adhesives, elastomeric sealants, and functional/protective coatings.
• Independently plan, manage, and execute coupon-level, component-level, and subscale process qualifications and verification campaigns with minimal guidance.
• Establish and qualify critical surface preparation methods (e.g., solvent cleaning, abrasion, grit-blasting, chemical etching, and atmospheric plasma) to ensure robust adhesion.
• Author, set up, and execute detailed process specifications, application instructions, and test plans in accordance with aerospace requirements and industry standards.
• Scale up chemical and application processes from lab-scale/prototype to production-scale realization on flight hardware.
• Review chemical/physical test results from processed hardware, evaluate inspection findings, and disposition non-conformances (MRB support).
• Work with an interdisciplinary team of manufacturing engineers, tooling engineers, and skilled operators to develop masking, surface preparation, mixing, and dispensing tooling/procedures for flight hardware.
• Operate and oversee chemical preparation, mixing, testing, and application equipment (e.g., spray booths, environmental chambers, automated dispensers) as needed.
• Specify, execute, and interpret chemical, mechanical, and thermal tests (e.g., peel, lap shear, DSC, TGA, DMA, and environmental aging).
• Provide day-to-day manufacturing support in clean rooms, spray stalls, and integration areas including shop travelers, safety protocols, shelf-life verification, out-time tracking, and material traceability.
• Manage testing programs and technical relationships with material suppliers, chemical manufacturers, testing labs, and equipment vendors.
• Apply general shop and laboratory compliance, including hazardous chemical safety (SDS), personal protective equipment (PPE), Foreign Object Debris (FOD) prevention, contamination control, and environmental regulations.
• Manage testing programs and technical relationships with material suppliers, chemical manufacturers, testing labs, and equipment vendors.
• Operate and oversee chemical preparation, mixing, testing, and application equipment (e.g., spray booths, environmental chambers, automated dispensers) as needed.
• Specify, execute, and interpret chemical, mechanical, and thermal tests (e.g., peel, lap shear, DSC, TGA, DMA, and environmental aging).
• Provide day-to-day manufacturing support in clean rooms, spray stalls, and integration areas including shop travelers, safety protocols, shelf-life verification, out-time tracking, and material traceability.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized work area in alignment with 5S standards.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Chemistry, or a relevant technical engineering field.
• Deep technical understanding of polymer chemistry, cure kinetics, rheology, surface prep physics (e.g., grit-blast, atmospheric plasma, primers), and adhesion phenomena on aerospace metals and composites.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with a demonstrated ability to drive material/process development and qualifications to completion with little guidance.
• Fundamental understanding of chemical storage, hazard evaluation, and reactive-chemistry shelf-life tracking.
• Approachable disposition, broad-minded, and adaptable to rapidly changing requirements.
• Calm demeanor in high-pressure situations with the tenacity to resolve conflict for permanent problem resolution.
• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or Materials Science & Engineering preferred.
• Hands-on experience in manual and automated application methods (e.g., wet spray, automated bead dispensing, custom extrusion, vacuum bagging).
• Experience and familiarity with chemical and thermal analysis equipment (such as FTIR, DSC, TGA, DMA, or optical microscopy).
• Familiarity with aerospace specifications and standards for non-metallic materials (e.g., ASTM, SAE AMS, MIL-SPECs).
• Experience in aerospace failure analysis and root cause investigation for polymer or coating failures.
• Strong written, interpersonal, and organizational communication skills.