Composite Materials & Process Engineer

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Evaluate and support the selection of composite materials, including carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramid fibers, core materials, adhesives, and resin systems.
• Develop, maintain, and update material specifications, standards, and qualification requirements.
• Perform material testing and characterization to verify mechanical, thermal, and environmental performance.
• Review supplier-provided material data and support material qualification and approval processes.
• Assess material alternatives by comparing performance, manufacturability, availability, and cost to recommend the most suitable solution for each application.
• Support the evaluation, qualification, and implementation of new materials and advanced composite technologies to improve product performance and manufacturability.

• Evaluate and support the selection of composite materials, including carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramid fibers, core materials, adhesives, and resin systems.
• Develop, maintain, and update material specifications, standards, and qualification requirements.
• Perform material testing and characterization to verify mechanical, thermal, and environmental performance.
• Review supplier-provided material data and support material qualification and approval processes.
• Assess material alternatives by comparing performance, manufacturability, availability, and cost to recommend the most suitable solution for each application.
• Support the evaluation, qualification, and implementation of new materials and advanced composite technologies to improve product performance and manufacturability.

• Develop, document, and improve composite manufacturing processes.
• Establish process specifications, manufacturing instructions, and quality requirements.
• Support manufacturing methods including:
  • Hand layup
  • Vacuum bagging
  • Resin infusion (VARTM)
  • Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
  • Compression molding
  • Injection molding
  • Prepreg layup
  • Autoclave curing
  • Oven curing
  • Composite assembly and bonding
• Define critical process parameters and process control methods.
• Support process validation and qualification activities.

• Provide day-to-day technical support to production operations.
• Investigate manufacturing issues involving defects, yield loss, porosity, delamination, dimensional variation, or cure-related concerns.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective action implementation.
• Collaborate with operators and supervisors to improve process consistency and productivity.
• Support manufacturing readiness activities for new product introduction (NPI).

• Coordinate and perform material and process validation testing.
• Analyze failures related to composite structures, bonding, environmental exposure, and manufacturing defects.
• Prepare technical reports summarizing findings and recommendations.
• Support qualification testing for customer and regulatory requirements.

• Identify opportunities to reduce scrap, rework, cycle time, and manufacturing costs.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to process improvement projects.
• Analyze manufacturing and quality data to improve process capability and repeatability.
• Support automation and advanced manufacturing initiatives.
• Support customer technical reviews and audits when required.

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 2+ years of experience in composites engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials engineering, or a related role.
• Experience with composite manufacturing processes and materials.
• Knowledge of polymer matrix composites and composite fabrication methods.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Familiarity with manufacturing documentation, process controls, and quality systems.

• Experience in aerospace, defense, energy, industrial equipment, marine, automotive, or sporting goods industries.
• Familiarity with composite material testing standards (ASTM, ISO, SAE, or equivalent).
• Understanding of…