SUMMARY The Composite M&P Engineer III will apply their broad technical knowledge and experience to support design, manufacturing, testing and R&D projects. The candidate must be innovative and a self-starter who works well in a team environment and has excellent interpersonal skills. The candidate will form an integral part of the advanced materials department, a team of engineers and technicians that are a focal for material related support for the company.
The candidate will serve as an experienced materials engineering to focus in carbon fiber composites and nonmetallic materials. The candidate will be expected to evaluate new materials, perform failure analysis, provide technical support to our internal and external customers, and provide innovative and timely solutions to meet company objectives. This engineer must identify opportunities for improvement, review solutions with relevant stakeholders, and take action to drive any improvements to completion without direct pressure or supervision.
This role is located at our manufacturing and test site in Briggs, TX, north of Cedar Park. RESPONSIBILITIES - Research and select composite materials and processes for structural applications on existing or new designs.
- Design, lead and perform related material testing and evaluations, such as microscopy, failure analysis, thermal analysis techniques and mechanical testing.
- Execute characterization and allowable campaigns.
- Develop, implement and maintain materials and processes technical specifications.
- Drive statistically driven experimental design and process improvement campaigns.
- Provide technical support for manufacturing and design teams in the areas of non-metallic material and processes selection and optimization, qualification, and inspection that impact product quality, reliability, durability, and capability.
- Lead or support material failure analysis and root cause corrective actions (RCCA).
- Define or refine materials technology roadmaps and partner with internal and external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Universities, National Labs, etc. to advance materials development for Firefly products in advance of business need.
- While maintaining focus on quality, reliability, performance, cost and development predictability; provide consulting and support for unplanned critical needs.
- Provides guidance, coaching and training to other materials engineering employees, mentors junior staff and broadly shares experience and knowledge across the organization.
- Represent Firefly on various industry task groups related to metallic materials and manufacturing (AMS, ASM, Nadcap, SAMPE, etc.).
- Develop and implement improved process control where possible using test and NDE results as a feedback loop.
QUALIFICATIONS Required - Bachelors degree in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent Engineering/Science role.
- 5+ years of experience in polymeric materials research, testing or manufacturing.
- Broad technical understanding of several composite material processes and operations including, but not limited to, out-of-autoclave processes, composites and polymer joining and surface engineering for aerospace applications.
- A desire to establish and foster strong interdisciplinary relationships across the company.
- Experienced in coordinating and conducting laboratory work and data analysis to drive technical materials engineering decisions.
- Ability to travel to customers and other Firefly sites up to 10% of the time.
Desired - Advanced degrees in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience with emphasis on Composite materials.
- 7+ years of experience in carbon fiber composite materials research, testing, processes or manufacturing.
- Direct experience in carbon fiber prepreg systems.
- Prior knowledge of structural composite characterization, testing standards and processing.
- Expert in material testing, (Mechanical, thermal, microscopy, NDE, failure mode & root cause analysis), data analysis and technical writing.
- Experience working with industry standards, such as ASTM, ASM, NASA and ISO, and their uses, limitations, and applications.
- In-depth knowledge of materials process technologies and their impact on material behavior and product performance (Process-Property-Performance relationships).
- Track record of innovation and delivering strategic business results in the context of materials engineering solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to organize technical theories and develop testing methods, correlate material properties with product performance and predict various failure modes
Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
