Lab Technician

FTAI Aviation LLC • Orange, CA

4d • $90,000 - $110,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Lab Technician role will perform metallographic, tensile, and hardness testing on thermal spray coatings — including tungsten carbide, aluminum bronze, and chrome carbide — to verify coating quality against internal and customer specifications. This is a hands-on, full-time bench role in the materials lab.

Requirements

• 4–5 years of hands-on materials or metallurgical lab experience.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret metallurgical structures under a microscope and distinguish coating defects from preparation artifacts.
• Proven hands-on operation of polishing equipment, Rockwell and Vickers hardness testers, and tensile testing machines.
• Solid measurement and math skills; comfortable with calipers, micrometers, and image-analysis measurement tools.
• Careful, detail-driven documentation habits and the ability to work independently on a full test queue.
• Ability to follow written procedures and work instructions precisely.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with thermal spray coatings (HVOF, plasma, combustion) and carbide or bronze coating systems.
• Associate degree or technical certificate in materials science, metallurgy, or a related field.
• Familiarity with image analysis software and lab data systems.
• Experience working in a lab governed by a formal quality management system.

Responsibilities

• Prepare metallographic samples end to end: sectioning, mounting, grinding, and polishing to a scratch-free finish suitable for microscopic evaluation.
• Examine coating microstructure under optical microscope and evaluate porosity, oxide content, unmelted particles, coating thickness, bond line integrity, and interface condition.
• Capture, measure, and document microstructural images; compare results against acceptance criteria and reference standards.
• Conduct hardness testing using Rockwell and Vickers (including microhardness) equipment; verify calibration and set up appropriate loads and indenters for coating and substrate materials.
• Set up and run tensile tests, including bond strength/adhesion testing of sprayed coatings; install specimens, apply correct fixtures and rates, and record load, elongation, and failure mode.
• Operate, clean, and maintain lab equipment: saws, mounting presses, automated and manual polishers, microscopes, hardness testers, and tensile frames.
• Record test data accurately, generate test reports, and flag nonconforming or out-of-trend results to the supervisor promptly.
• Maintain calibration records, consumable inventory, and lab housekeeping; follow all safety and chemical-handling requirements.
• Support root cause investigations and process development trials with additional sample prep and testing as requested.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree