Technical Manager

Invent Wood is a pioneering materials science company that revolutionizes the construction and building materials industry. We've developed Super Wood, a groundbreaking engineered wood product that is stronger, lighter, more durable, and more sustainable than traditional alternatives like steel and concrete. Born out of research at the University of Maryland, we are transforming the possibilities of wood, offering unparalleled performance while promoting responsible forest management and reducing carbon emissions.

As we scale our commercial production, we're building a team passionate about driving adoption of this transformative material.

Invent Wood has an extraordinary opportunity to enable new products across a range of industries. In the building products industry, this includes mass timber applications, cladding, decking, railings, fencing, flooring, and other building materials. With hardness and performance that can literally be bulletproof, the material also has military applications. In fact, given the nature of this breakthrough technology, it is possible that never in history has a new material had the opportunity to be integrated into so many applications so quickly across the globe.

The Technical Manager will play a key role in advancing and scaling Invent Wood’s manufacturing processes—from R&D through pilot to full-scale production. This role bridges engineering design, materials science, and process development, ensuring our technologies move efficiently from the lab to market-ready systems. Reporting to the Plant GM, the technical manager is primarily responsible for all technical aspects of the production of all Super Wood products, including product recipes, process settings, QA test programs, and process trials.

The ideal candidate is a creative problem solver with hands-on experience in process optimization, scale-up, and production innovation—someone who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment and wants to make a tangible impact in sustainable materials manufacturing.

• Primary technical owner for all process settings and production recipes.
• Point of contact for any requested changes and/or improvement to manufacturing processes.
• Drives product performance, yield improvements, and cycle time reductions.
• Leads efforts to qualify/validate new products and production processes
• Lead team through disciplined Root Cause Analysis of process-related opportunities.
• Ensure appropriate process control data collection and subsequent data analysis.
• Leads trials on production line to optimize settings.
• Leads technical evaluation potential future machine technology solutions, working closely with capital projects and engineering team.
• Primary manufacturing interface with other functions such as R&D and Product Development.
• Works in conjunction with R&D and sales to develop and approve production trial plans for product changes, machine efficiency tests, and any major adjustments to process recipes.
• Supports accounting to ensure true manufacturing costs are reflected by product SKU.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical structural design ability with a passion for sustainability, innovation, and collaboration.

• Track record of successful innovation across multiple prior engagements
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in process development, scale-up, or manufacturing innovation
• Strong understanding of unit operations, process modeling, and industrial process design.
• Proven experience with process optimization tools (DOE, Lean/Six Sigma, SPC).
• Hands-on experience in pilot plant or production environments.
• Experience in wood processing, composites, pulp and paper, and/or advanced materials is desirable.
• Familiarity with automation, instrumentation, and process control systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills and ability to translate technical data into actionable insights.
• Experience with sustainable design principles and lifecycle analysis is a plus
• Passion for sustainability, innovation, and new materials in the built environment.