Materials & Application Engineer

Höganäs•Tomball, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Höganäs in North America is seeking a Materials & Application Engineer to work at our Tomball, TX location. This position is responsible for the metallurgical laboratory operations and coating characterization within a customer-focused technical environment. The position collaborates closely with coatings and applications personnel to evaluate results, provide data-driven insights, and support customer trials and investigations.

Requirements

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgy, or related field.
Recent graduates to 3+ years of experience in metallurgical lab, coatings, or technical applications environments.
Strong capability in metallographic sample preparation, including sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching.
Proficiency in metallurgical analysis, including hardness testing and microstructural evaluation using optical microscopy.
Working knowledge of coating processes, including laser cladding and PTAW (support/operation exposure), with basic familiarity with thermal spray.
Ability to work independently, interpret laboratory results, and provide clear, data-driven insights.
Experience preparing clear technical reports, including micrographs, hardness data, and key observations.

Nice To Haves

Additive manufacturing experience with robotic programming is preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversees day-to-day operation of the metallurgical laboratory, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and timely output to support customer-focused activities.
Performs metallurgical sample preparation, including sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching, following established standards and best practices.
Conducts metallographic analysis using optical microscopy to evaluate coating characteristics such as microstructure, dilution, porosity, cracking, and bonding integrity.
Captures and documents metallurgical data, including micrographs, hardness results, and observations, ensuring accuracy and traceability.
Prepares clear technical reports summarizing findings, including micrographs, hardness data, and key observations, to support application development, validation, and issue resolution.
Interprets metallurgical results and provides data-driven insights on coating performance and behavior.
Supports customer trials and development activities by preparing and analyzing samples, documenting results, and contributing to technical discussions.
Collaborates with coatings and applications personnel to correlate metallurgical results with process outputs and support continuous improvement.
Supports coating process development through metallurgical evaluation, without primary ownership of process parameter development.
Provides secondary support to cladding processes (e.g., laser cladding, HSLC, PTAW) through sample evaluation and participation in trials as needed.
Maintains laboratory equipment, consumables, and procedures to ensure readiness and reliability.
Opportunity to expand involvement in coating process support and applications activities as experience develops.
Maintains a safe working environment for themselves and others.
Displays conscious awareness of what is required to ensure a sustainable Höganäs.