POSITION SUMMARYThe Metallurgist is responsible for providing technical expertise in materials science and metallurgical processes to support UNION's manufacturing operations, quality assurance, and product development. As UNION scales its Factories-as-a-Stockpile™ model for defense and industrial production, this role plays a critical part in ensuring material integrity, qualifying new processes, and resolving metallurgical issues across a facility built for continuous readiness and rapid retooling.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES- Define alloy chemistries, heat-treat cycles, and processing parameters to meet strength, toughness, and fatigue requirements for defense and high-reliability applications.
- Evaluate and characterize raw materials, forgings, castings, and finished components using metallurgical analysis techniques including microscopy, hardness testing, and tensile/impact evaluation.
- Lead first-article inspections and metallurgical evaluations to ensure compliance with military, aerospace, and customer-specific standards.
- Implement statistical process control (SPC) and statistical analyses (CpK/PpK) using tools such as Minitab or JMP to monitor and drive improvement of metallurgical processes.
- Establish and maintain welding and joining procedures (WPS/PQR) for ferrous and non-ferrous alloys.
- Conduct material failure investigations using standard laboratory and analytical techniques; drive corrective actions through 5-Why and other structured problem-solving methods.
- Serve as the primary metallurgical resource for design, production, and supplier quality teams; support supplier audits, source inspections, and customer technical reviews.
- Review and approve material certifications, test reports, and supplier qualifications.
- Support new product development and process qualification activities from a materials perspective.
- Stay current with applicable industry and regulatory standards (ASTM, AMS, ASME, MIL-STD, ITAR) and ensure they are accurately reflected in manufacturing processes and documentation.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS- Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related field
- Minimum 5 years of applied metallurgy experience in defense, aerospace, or high-reliability manufacturing.
- Expertise in heat-treat design and control for steels and superalloys.
- Proficiency in metallographic preparation and analysis; mechanical testing (tensile, impact, hardness).
- Working knowledge of welding metallurgy and residual-stress considerations.
- Experience with statistical process control and data analysis tools (Minitab, JMP, or equivalent).
- Strong cross-functional communicator with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS- Familiarity with MIL-STD, AMS, and ITAR requirements.
- Experience with non-destructive testing methods (UT, PT, RT).
- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, ASQ CQE, or equivalent certification.
- Exposure to additive manufacturing metallurgy.
- Experience in forging, casting, or precision machining environments.
- Experience with PFMEA and quality management systems (ISO 9001 / AS9100/NADCAP).
WORKING CONDITIONSWork is performed in both laboratory and manufacturing floor environments. Exposure to heat treating equipment, industrial furnaces, chemical reagents, and noise is expected. Appropriate PPE is required at all times in designated areas. Some travel to supplier, customer, or audit sites may be required.
