Composite M&P Engineer I

Firefly Aerospace•Briggs, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Composite M&P Engineer I supports design, manufacturing, testing, and R&D projects as part of Firefly Aerospace’s advanced materials department. The role focuses on nonmetallic materials, including carbon fiber composites and adhesives, and involves evaluating new materials, performing failure analysis, and providing technical support and timely solutions to internal and external customers. The engineer identifies opportunities for improvement, reviews solutions with stakeholders, and drives improvements to completion with minimal supervision. The position is based at Firefly’s manufacturing and test site in Briggs, Texas, north of Cedar Park. Travel to customers and other Firefly sites may be required up to 10% of the time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or an equivalent Engineering/Science field.
Experience in polymeric materials research, testing, or manufacturing.
Broad technical understanding of several composite material processes and operations, including out-of-autoclave processes, composites and polymer joining, and surface engineering for aerospace applications.
Desire to establish and foster strong interdisciplinary relationships across the company.
Experience coordinating and conducting laboratory work and data analysis to drive technical materials engineering decisions.
Ability to travel to customers and other Firefly sites up to 10% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience with an emphasis on composite materials.
At least 1 year of experience in carbon fiber composite materials research, testing, processes, or manufacturing.
Direct experience with carbon fiber prepreg systems.
Knowledge of structural composite characterization, testing standards, and processing.
Knowledge of materials testing, including mechanical testing, thermal analysis, microscopy, NDE, failure mode and root cause analysis, data analysis, and technical writing.
Experience with industry standards such as ASTM, ASM, NASA, and ISO, including their uses, limitations, and applications.
Working knowledge of materials process technologies and their impact on material behavior and product performance (Process-Property-Performance relationships).
Track record of innovation and delivering strategic business results through materials engineering solutions.
Ability to organize technical theories, develop testing methods, correlate material properties with product performance, and predict failure modes.

Responsibilities

Research and select composite materials and processes for structural applications on existing or new designs.
Perform materials testing and evaluation, including microscopy, failure analysis, thermal analysis techniques, and mechanical testing.
Execute characterization and allowable campaigns.
Develop, implement, and maintain materials and processes technical specifications.
Provide technical support to manufacturing and design teams on nonmetallic materials and processes selection, optimization, qualification, and inspection, with attention to product quality, reliability, durability, and capability.
Support material failure analysis and root cause corrective actions (RCCA).
Provide consulting and support for unplanned critical needs while maintaining focus on quality, reliability, performance, cost, and development predictability.
Develop and implement improved process control where possible, using test and NDE results as a feedback loop.
Identify improvement opportunities, review solutions with relevant stakeholders, and drive improvements to completion.