Sr. Director,Additive Manufacturing Technology Job Phoenix area,Arizona USA,Engineering

Position: Sr. Director, Additive Manufacturing Technology & Applications
Job Purpose

As the Sr. Director of Additive Manufacturing Technology & Applications at Vulcan Forms, you will drive implementation of a fully automated CAD-to-print workflow across Vulcan Forms' additive manufacturing platforms. Your scope spans design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) and automated part feasibility, build preparation and machine integration, and process and application development across Vulcan Forms current and future platforms as well as other OEMs equipment.

You will work closely with the Digital and Factory Automation Engineering teams to deploy automated end-to-end solutions into our factories.
You will also provide product development and program management leadership for remote deployed systems, including onsite support for such printers, and translate customer requirements into the technical and manufacturing requirements that drive our production systems. This role sits at the intersection of AM technology, automation, product development, and customer technical engagement. It calls for a hands-on, player-coach leader who can set system-level strategy, lead a small, high-caliber team, and personally engage in detailed engineering work as the workflow scales into future aerospace and defense manufacturing operations.

Key Responsibilities

Define and execute the multi-year technical roadmap for a fully automated CAD-to-print workflow, from incoming customer geometry through a validated, production-ready build. Establish the validation gates, documentation standards, configuration control, and engineering rigor required to deploy automated workflows in regulated, high-reliability production environments.
Drive development of automated DfAM, part feasibility, and manufacturability analysis tools that enhance the company's quality and speed of assessing printability, cost, lead time, and risk early in a customer engagement.
Implement innovative build preparation capabilities, including part orientation, nesting, support generation, slicing, and scan-strategy assignment, and their integration with machine control and factory systems.
Drive AM process and application development across current and future platforms, establishing consistent practices and transferable process knowledge across a multi-platform fleet.
Provide product development and program management leadership for remote deployed systems, including onsite support as required, owning technical milestones, issue resolution, and continuous improvement.
Create processes to ensure we translate customer requirements into clear technical, design, and manufacturing requirements, and ensure they flow through the workflow into repeatable production outcomes.
Serve as a senior technical point of contact for internal and external customers, supporting and/or leading AM feasibility assessments, technical reviews, and application development discussions across multiple business units.
Partner with software, hardware, materials and process, manufacturing, quality, and commercial teams to integrate the CAD-to-print workflow with factory operations, digital & quality systems, and customer commitments.
Lead and develop a small multidisciplinary team of engineers and technical specialists while remaining hands-on in technical reviews, prototyping, and problem-solving.
Reinforce a culture of ownership, urgency, humility, craftsmanship, and first-principles engineering through technical engagement, decision-making, and day-to-day leadership.

Qualifications

10+ years of experience in metal additive manufacturing, with significant hands-on experience in laser powder bed fusion process and application development for production.
5+ years of experience leading engineering, applications, or product development teams, or technical…