Engineering Manager

TAF Carbon is looking for an Engineering Manager to lead our Process Scale‑Up & Manufacturing effort, bridging the gap between R&D scientists and industrial manufacturing partners to bring carbon foam materials to commercial scale.

• Lead the translation of laboratory and pilot‑scale carbon foam processes into robust, reproducible industrial manufacturing operations, including testing, certification, prototyping, and product launch.
• Hands‑on engineering and problem‑solving in a fast‑growing start‑up environment.
• Define and implement process control and improvement frameworks (Six Sigma, SPC, MSA) to establish and sustain process capability across manufacturing environments.
• Drive continuous improvement in process efficiency, energy performance, heating uniformity, cost of goods, and time to market.
• Develop and evaluate innovative approaches to mold design, heating technology, and process configuration that enable scalable, high‑throughput production.
• Establish and maintain high engineering standards, including documentation, design review processes, and technical governance.

• Identify, qualify, and develop long‑term technical relationships with external manufacturing partners.
• Serve as TAF Carbon’s primary technical interface with manufacturing operations, ensuring alignment on process requirements, quality standards, and scale‑up milestones.
• Collaborate with R&D teammates to translate research outcomes into manufacturable processes and clear manufacturing inputs, streamlining time to market.

• Mentor and grow a high‑performing engineering team, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and pragmatic problem‑solving.
• Support project planning, prioritization, and budgeting in alignment with organizational goals and timelines.
• Partner with leadership on strategic product and manufacturing roadmaps across all phases of commercial development.
• Model a culture of demanding excellence, scientific rigor, problem‑solving, and challenging conventional corporate culture.

• Lead engineering contributions to new product development and cost reduction from the process and tooling side.
• Contribute to early planning and capability‑building for TAF Carbon’s future manufacturing assets.
• Develop and maintain strong customer relationships, supporting tailored product solutions and long‑term partnerships.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering (or related field).
• 8+ years of progressive engineering experience in industry with 3+ years in a leadership or management role.
• Demonstrated track record taking a material or chemical process from lab or pilot scale to industrial production.
• Deep working knowledge of foamed materials and the industrial processes used to make them: polymer foams, carbon foams, ceramic foams, or closely analogous materials.
• Hands‑on experience with mold design and molding processes, including thermal analysis, dead mass minimization, and scale‑up.
• Experience designing or improving industrial heating systems – convective or other non‑conventional approaches is a strong plus.
• Experience working with toll manufacturers or contract manufacturers as a technical owner, not just a customer.
• Proven expertise in Statistical Process Control (SPC), Measurement System Analysis (MSA), and process capability (Cpk, Ppk) – you use these instinctively.
• Expertise with Design of Experiments (DOE) for process optimization.
• Experience with continuous or semi‑continuous manufacturing line concepts (belt press, or equivalent) is a strong plus.
• Experience with controlled atmosphere processing and/or high‑temperature industrial environments preferred.
• Experience in gas handling, exhaust treatment and waste heat collection and re‑use is a plus.
• Proven track record driving product qualification, regulatory certification and new product introduction.

• You distinguish a research result from a manufacturable process and communicate it.
• Strong process and systems mindset – experience implementing design control, setting and meeting…