Senior Coatings Process Engineer - MIL-Spec​/Defense SME

Requisition Number: 28665

Required Travel: 0 - 10%

Employment Type:

Full Time/Salaried/Exempt

Anticipated Salary Range: $92,760.00 - $

Security Clearance:
Ability to Obtain

Level of

Experience:

Senior

This opportunity resides with Warfare Systems (WS), a business group within HII’s Mission Technologies division. Warfare Systems comprises cyber and mission IT; electronic warfare; and C5

ISR systems.

HII works within our nation’s intelligence and cyber operations communities to defend our interests in cyberspace and anticipate emerging threats. Our capabilities in cybersecurity, network architecture, reverse engineering, software and hardware development uniquely enable us to support sensitive missions for the U.S. military and federal agency partners.

HII, Mission Technologies has an opportunity available for a highly experienced Senior Coatings Process Engineer / Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support the development of advanced polymer‑based coatings for DoD and commercial applications, including high‑temperature and ablative thermal‑protection elastomers.

The opportunity will focus on providing expert guidance across formulation, scale‑up, and production readiness. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of MIL‑Spec coating requirements and a proven track record of developing, qualifying, and launching high‑performance coating systems.

We are open to considering full‑time and/or part‑time applicants.

• Level 5 Engineer: $141,796 - $202,566
• Level 6 Engineer: $175,373 - $250,532

• Serve as the primary technical advisor for coating formulation, processing, and production.
• Guide equipment selection, facility layout, and production‑line setup for coatings manufacturing.
• Review and refine formulation strategies to ensure compliance with MIL‑Spec and other relevant standards.
• Support identification of target customers, programs, and applications within defense markets.
• Oversee qualification testing, conformance testing, and regulatory compliance activities.
• Define scale‑up pathways, raw‑material sourcing strategies, and best practices for efficient, repeatable production.
• Act as a technical liaison between internal teams, suppliers, and external partners to ensure alignment across development and manufacturing.
• Contribute to market strategy, product positioning, and competitive differentiation in CONUS/OCONUS defense and commercial coatings markets.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve technical or operational issues that may impact production quality or throughput.
• Support R&D activities, including testing, evaluation, documentation, and reporting for new coating technologies and elastomeric systems.

• Level 5: 15 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 13 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 10 years relevant experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 19 years relevant experience.
• Level 6: 20+ years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 18+ years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 15+ years relevant experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 24 years relevant experience.
• 5+ years of experience working within government and/or defense with similar product lines – specifically with MIL‑Spec coating systems.
• Strong understanding of the coatings supply chain, qualification process, and customer expectations.
• Demonstrated experience launching or advising on new coating lines or products.
• Background in chemistry, chemical engineering, coatings technology, or a related field.

• May require working in an office, industrial, shipboard, or laboratory environment. Capable of climbing ladders and tolerating confined spaces and extreme temperature variances.

HII offers competitive benefits such as best‑in‑class medical, dental and vision plan choices; wellness resources; employee assistance programs;
Savings Plan Options (401(k)); financial planning tools, life insurance; employee discounts; paid holidays and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; as well as…