Lead Process 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.

What you'll be working on:

As our Lead Process Engineer, you will sit at the critical link that transforms novel alloy breakthroughs into manufacturable, reproducible, and market-ready products. This is a hands-on role with responsibility to design, mature, and optimize powder manufacturing processes for state-of-the-art new metal alloys.

Key Responsibilities

* Be the subject matter expert in powder manufacturing, consolidation, and sintering equipment and processes across alloy systems. Own the success of scaling up processes from pilot plant to serial production.

* Design and implement innovative processes for achieving reduced cycle times, higher right-first-time rates, higher yields, and lower operating costs.

* Collaborate with contract manufacturers to qualify and improve manufacturing processes.

* Identify and install best practices for process data collection, analysis, and utilization for improving product quality and reducing manufacturing costs.

* Work closely with Product Scientists in developing processing parameters, manufacturing windows, and work instructions that enable the manufacturing team to produce alloys and parts consistently at scale.

* Author and maintain standard operating procedures and maintenance procedures for all equipment and alloy product lines.

Qualifications

* Engineering degree and 3+ years of industry experience in metallurgical manufacturing, with demonstrated shop floor engineering experience. Powder metallurgy processing experience is a plus.

* Hands-on experience with process optimization, problem solving in a manufacturing environment, and ensuring safe working practices.

* Familiarity with alloy processing techniques such as powder metallurgy, heat treatment, or additive manufacturing relevant to demanding applications.

* Systematic, detail-oriented approach to problem-solving and process development.

* Collaborative team player who works effectively across R&D, manufacturing, and commercial functions.

* Comfortable operating with ownership and initiative in a fast-paced, resource-constrained start-up environment.

* Strong technical writing skills - able to produce clear, organized documentation including SOPs, qualification reports, and process specifications.

Culture

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.

Compensation and Benefits

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