Senior Machining Process Engineer – R&D

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high‑technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

As a Machining Process Engineer you will own the key performance indicators for machining and finishing processes that turn sintered magnet blocks into finished coating‑ready parts. You will evaluate and optimize machining pathways, including wire sawing, precision grinding, tumbling, and other processes.

• Process Characterization, Metrology & Quality:
  Metrology, surface finish, and inspection methods; establish SPC and capability baselines and drive loss/defect rates down with data.
• Equipment Specification & New Process Introduction (NPI):
  Evaluate, specify, and justify new machining and finishing processes; run vendor trials, define acceptance criteria; document developed processes and hand off validated, capable processes to pilot production.
• Optimization of Existing Machining Processes: develop and optimize slicing, grinding, abrasive, tumbling processes; minimize loss and maximize material yield while holding thickness tolerance, TTV, bow, and warp targets; quantify the yield‑vs‑throughput trade space for varying magnet geometries; develop novel tooling and fixturing; understand and quantify surface effects on downstream coating adhesion, corrosion, and magnetic performance.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

We are looking for depth in abrasive machining plus the range to own everything around it:

• Abrasive Machining of Hard/Brittle Materials: Direct experience machining sintered magnets, technical ceramics, carbide, glass, silicon/semiconductor wafers, or similar brittle materials.
• Diamond Tooling: Working knowledge of diamond wire, wheel, and media specification.
• Machine Craft: Comfortable at the machine: setup, alignment, fixturing, troubleshooting vibration and chatter.
• Coolant & Filtration Systems: Practical understanding of coolant chemistry, delivery, filtration technologies, and swarf/sludge handling.
• Statistics & DOE: Fluency in designed experiments, measurement system analysis, SPC, and capability studies.
• Metrology & GD&T: Strong command of GD&T interpretation and precision dimensional/surface metrology at micron scale.
• CAD & Fixture Design: Able to design and iterate work holding, carriers, and handling fixtures (Solid Works, Fusion 360, or similar).

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• 5+ years of process engineering experience in machining/finishing.
• Demonstrated ownership of a machining process from development through production release.
• Experience with NdFeB or other permanent magnet materials is a strong plus, but we will gladly teach magnets to someone who deeply knows grinding.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities.

• Experience in semiconductor wafering, optics fabrication, cutting tool manufacturing, or technical ceramics.