Materials Manufacturing Engineer III

Textron Systems in Wilmington, MA is seeking a skilled Composite Materials professional to support the development of advanced materials, thermal protection systems and high‑temperature composite structures used in cutting‑edge hypersonic and reentry programs. This role sits at the intersection of engineering and manufacturing, with significant time spent on the shop floor and in the lab executing builds, refining processes and conducting material testing.

You will help translate design requirements into repeatable, efficient manufacturing methods while troubleshooting defects and improving quality, yield and throughput.

The ideal candidate is detail‑oriented, highly hands‑on and comfortable working in a fast‑paced, low‑volume/high‑mix environment. You should be adaptable, collaborative and able to quickly iterate and make data-driven decisions in both development and production settings.

You will work closely with design engineering and manufacturing teams to support development and production of advanced composite materials (carbon/carbon, 3D woven, laminated, resin‑infused systems).

Responsibilities include:

• Translating material and design requirements into robust manufacturing processes and clear work instructions in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

• Planning and executing material fabrication, including layup, preforming, infusion (VARTM/RTM) and curing.

• Developing and optimizing process parameters (resin systems, flow media, vacuum strategy, cure cycles).

• Designing and supporting tooling for complex preforms and infusion setups.

• Performing hands‑on builds, trials and process validation on the shop floor.

• Developing and executing mechanical, thermal and environmental test plans.

• Analyzing test data to characterize material properties and drive continuous process improvements.

• Supporting process qualification and first‑article activities.

• Investigating defects (voids, dry spots, delamination’s) and implementing root‑cause analysis and corrective actions.

• Collaborating with design engineering on material selection, laminate stack‑ups and DFM/DFA considerations.

• Interfacing with suppliers for fibers, resins, and preforms and supporting material down‑select and qualification.

• Ensuring compliance with aerospace and defense standards and specifications.

• Evaluating emerging manufacturing technologies and conducting cost/benefit assessments for potential adoption.

• Experience with 3D‑woven or other complex preform architectures.

• Knowledge of carbon/carbon, ceramic matrix composites, polymer matrix composites or other high‑temperature materials.

• Experience with thermal protection systems, high‑temperature testing, ablation behavior or densification processes.

• Familiarity with aerospace qualification standards (CMH‑17, ASTM, AMS, MIL specs).

• Experience with mechanical testing methods (tensile, compression, ILSS, fatigue, etc.).

• Knowledge of NDI/NDT methods such as ultrasonic inspection and CT scanning.

• Experience scaling composite manufacturing processes from development to production.

• Familiarity with statistical analysis and material acceptability development.

• Knowledge of Design for X (DFX, manufacturing, assembly, cost).

• Knowledge of GD&T and proper tolerancing in a manufacturing environment.

• Ability to interpret technical drawings, model‑based definition files, BOMs, sketches, CAD models, specifications, prototypes and non‑standard requirements.

• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

• Experience with ERP/MRP (e.g., Oracle), PLM (e.g., Matrix), and MES (e.g., Solumina) or equivalents.

• Experience…