SME - Surface Treatment & Painting, Automated Solutions; FTC

About Us

Are you ready to shape how cutting-edge technologies are positioned, understood, and adopted by real markets? At Venture One, we build ventures and commercialize breakthrough technologies emerging from advanced research. Our focus spans Aerospace and Space, Security and Defense, Sustainability, Environment and Energy, and Transportation, with technologies across Cryptography, Secure Systems, Directed Energy, Advanced Materials, Autonomous Systems, and more.

The SME – Surface Treatment & Painting will serve as the technical authority for all coating and surface engineering processes across aerospace & defense manufacturing programs. This role is responsible for establishing, optimizing, and sustaining high-reliability finishing processes including E-coating, anodizing, chromate conversion coating (CCC), and primer/topcoat painting, ensuring compliance with stringent military and aerospace standards.

The position plays a critical role in enhancing corrosion resistance, durability, and lifecycle performance of critical components while driving process innovation, digitization, and sustainability in coating operations. The SME will work cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, design, automation and supply chain teams to ensure robust process integration from design stage through production and field performance.

• Lead end-to-end development, qualification, and optimization of surface treatment processes including anodizing (Type II, Type III), chromate conversion coating and E-coating systems.
• Define and standardize process parameters such as bath chemistry, current density, temperature control, curing cycles, and coating thickness.
• Act as the technical authority for primer and topcoat applications including epoxy, polyurethane, and CARC coatings used in defense systems.
• Design, implement, and optimize automatic chemical dosing and mixing systems for process baths, ensuring precise control of concentration, pH, temperature, and conductivity.
• Monitor and maintain bath chemistry through automated systems and manual verification methods.

• Ensure adherence to international and defense standards such as MIL-STD, ASTM, ISO, and NADCAP requirements.
• Develop and implement process control plans, PFMEA, and inspection criteria for coating thickness (DFT), adhesion, hardness, and corrosion resistance.
• Lead qualification and validation activities including salt spray testing, cyclic corrosion testing, and environmental durability testing.
• Ensure calibration, maintenance, and compliance of lab instruments and testing equipment.

• Investigate coating failures such as blistering, peeling, poor adhesion, and corrosion, and implement root cause corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance coating performance, reduce defects, and improve throughput and cost efficiency.
• Optimize chemical usage, reduce waste, and improve environmental sustainability of coating lines.

• Support design, commissioning, and optimization of surface treatment lines including tanks, rectifiers, filtration systems, and curing ovens.
• Work with automation teams to prepare material with Tape, Plug and Screw masking automation, integrate robotics for automatic part and rack load/unloading, conveyors, and digital monitoring systems into pre and post coating processes.
• Define preventive maintenance strategies for coating equipment and chemical systems.

• Collaborate with design and materials teams to ensure coating compatibility and selection during product development including Cycle time, Batch decisions, Bottleneck identification etc.
• Support supplier qualification and audits for outsourced coating processes.
• Train production and quality teams on coating standards, inspection methods, and best practices.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of hands‑on experience in surface treatment and industrial coating processes in…