R&D Engineer

About the company

Foundation Alloy is building the most advanced metal alloy company in the world. Our mission is to unlock performance that legacy materials and processes simply cannot deliver, enabling the next generation of critical hardware across space, aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial applications.

Our proprietary Metals

FIRST™ platform eliminates melting entirely, using mechanical alloying and rapid sintering to produce alloys with ultra-fine grain structures and exceptional properties. We are already deploying initial materials, including our Molyclast™ alloys (MC700, MC1200, and MC-X) and specialty steels.

We are a Boston‑area company commercializing deep materials science developed at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and frontier materials science. We move fast, operate with high technical rigor, and are scaling the infrastructure to bring these materials into production.

Foundation Alloy is seeking an R&D Engineer to join our team. You will be working closely with a talented and collaborative group of engineers and materials scientists to develop and refine the processes used to design and manufacture next‑generation alloys. This is a hands‑on role focused on experimental process development, operating equipment, and generating the data needed to rapidly iterate on alloy design and solid‑state manufacturing methods.

• Operate and maintain mechanical alloying and powder processing equipment as part of ongoing R&D programs.
• Design and execute experimental work streams to develop and optimize alloy processing routes.
• Identify and troubleshoot issues related to contamination, temperature control, processing time, and other key powder production variables.
• Systematically test and iterate on process parameters to improve alloy performance and manufacturability.
• Collect, analyze, and document experimental data to guide process improvements and support rapid iteration cycles.
• Work closely with materials scientists and engineers to translate experimental results into improved alloy formulations and processing approaches.

• Passion for imagining what’s possible and the energy, drive, leadership, and creativity to make it happen in a fast‑paced, evolving start‑up environment.
• Background in materials science or mechanical engineering or related experience.
• Comfort working in a laboratory environment and with industrial machinery.
• Data driven and quantitative approach to problem solving.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail with a desire to work in a task oriented environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment with engineers and PhDs.
• Ability to handle and lift 50 lbs.

We don’t look for profiles that “fit” with our culture. We look for people that add to who we are - people with the initiative, positive approach to problem solving, and passion for something (anything!) that will make them both high impact and exciting to work alongside from day one. We know that these people come from all walks of life, with all backgrounds and levels of experience.

If you’re excited about the work we can do together, please reach out. We enthusiastically welcome team members of all races, colors, religions, ages, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, national origins, different abilities, genetics, veteran statuses, and former incarceration statuses.

The success of this company will be grounded in the long‑term productivity of our team. To provide everyone with the physical, mental and financial safety to operate at their long‑term best, we provide the following:

• Meaningful, challenging, impactful work, and opportunities to grow within the company at all levels
• Competitive salary, guaranteed to rise with inflation at a minimum each year
• Equity - People at every level will have an impact, and should benefit from their work
• Unlimited paid vacation, with a very strong expectation that employees take a minimum of 15 days off per year, and a full week off at least once per year
• Flexible working style. Most jobs will require people to be present in person or in office most of the time, but in general we care about what’s getting done, not when or where you’re doing it
• Top tier health, dental and vision insurance with limited employee contributions
• A voice in future benefits. This is the beginning, and we will work together to keep adding new, better ways to provide for everyone in the company