Metallurgical Supervisor

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 Knoxville, Tennessee facility.

The Metallurgical Supervisor leads day-to-day laboratory operations supporting materials development, Additive Manufacturing (AM) process development, and production operations. This role oversees metallurgical testing, material characterization, metallographic sample preparation, laboratory equipment, and technical documentation to ensure accurate, reliable, and timely test results. The Supervisor provides technical guidance and direction to laboratory personnel, establishes priorities and manages testing schedules, and ensures compliance with established test methods, quality requirements, and laboratory safety standards.

Working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and other cross-functional teams, this role supports material qualification, process development, root cause investigations, and continuous improvement while maintaining a high standard of technical rigor, operational efficiency, and laboratory readiness.

• Supervise daily laboratory operations, including work assignments, testing priorities, resource allocation, and workload management to ensure timely and accurate completion of laboratory activities.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight for metallographic sample preparation, microscopy, material characterization, mechanical testing, and other laboratory procedures.
• Lead and develop laboratory personnel through training, technical coaching, performance feedback, and the establishment of consistent work practices and testing standards.
• Oversee the execution of material testing and characterization activities in accordance with applicable standards, approved procedures, customer requirements, and internal quality processes.
• Review and validate laboratory data, test reports, and technical documentation to ensure accuracy, completeness, traceability, and conformance to established requirements.
• Oversee powder characterization, tensile testing, hardness testing, heat-treatment evaluations, metallographic analysis, and other material testing activities based on business needs.
• Establish and maintain laboratory procedures, work instructions, testing protocols, equipment records, calibration requirements, and sample traceability practices.
• Monitor laboratory performance, including testing turnaround times, workload, equipment utilization, data quality, and adherence to established procedures. Identify and implement improvements as needed.
• Coordinate laboratory equipment maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting, and qualification activities to ensure equipment availability and measurement reliability.
• Lead or support material evaluations, root cause investigations, nonconformance investigations, and corrective action activities in partnership with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with laboratory safety requirements, PPE standards, chemical handling practices, metal powder handling protocols, housekeeping expectations, and applicable environmental, health, and safety requirements.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to define testing requirements, resolve technical issues, communicate findings, and align laboratory resources with production and development priorities.
• Identify opportunities to improve laboratory methods, workflows, equipment capabilities, data management, and overall operational effectiveness.
• Support the development of laboratory capabilities, including new testing methods, characterization technologies, equipment implementation, and personnel competency as business needs evolve.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy, Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical…