Principal Engineer, Materials

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost.

Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Cincinnati, Ohio facility.

We are seeking a Principal Materials Engineer to lead the development, qualification, and optimization of casting materials and processes for aerospace applications. This role will serve as a technical subject matter expert in casting metallurgy, with a focus on nickel-based superalloys, investment casting, and additively manufactured ceramic molds and cores. Working cross-functionally, you will drive casting technologies from early development through production while strengthening our metallurgical capabilities.

• Lead the development, qualification, and continuous improvement of casting materials, processes, and heat-treatment methods for aerospace components.
• Serve as the principal technical expert in casting metallurgy, including alloy chemistry, solidification, microstructure, material properties, and casting performance.
• Partner with additive manufacturing, design, manufacturing, and quality teams to develop and optimize printed ceramic molds and cores for high-temperature casting.
• Lead metallurgical investigations, root-cause analyses, and corrective actions related to casting defects, material performance, and process variation.
• Establish and oversee metallurgical characterization, testing methods, laboratory capabilities, and acceptance criteria.
• Support casting process qualification, production readiness, first-article inspections, and material review board activities.
• Develop and maintain engineering specifications, process standards, technical documentation, and qualification plans.
• Collaborate with suppliers, research institutions, customers, and external technical partners to advance casting technologies.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers, technicians, and laboratory personnel.

• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgy, Materials Science, Materials Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

• 12+ years of relevant experience in casting metallurgy, aerospace materials, gas turbines, or a related field. Equivalent combinations of advanced education and experience will be considered.
• Extensive hands-on experience with casting processes, preferably investment casting of nickel-based or cobalt-based superalloys.
• Experience with metallurgical characterization, mechanical testing, casting process qualification, and root-cause investigations.
• Experience working with ceramic mold systems, high-temperature materials, and casting-related inspection methods.
• Deep understanding of alloy chemistry, melting practices, solidification, heat treatment, microstructure, and casting defects.
• Ability to translate complex metallurgical concepts into practical manufacturing processes, engineering requirements, and quality controls.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, technical documentation, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives, influence cross-functional teams, and mentor others.
• Comfortable working in laboratory, foundry, and production environments within a fast-paced, evolving…