Materials Engineer, Rocket Motor Systems

Anduril • McHenry, MS

4d

About The Position

Anduril's Rocket Motor Systems (RMS) team is rebuilding U.S. domestic production capacity for solid rocket propulsion. The Materials and Process Engineer will connect the formulation, testing, and manufacture of solid rocket motor materials to their performance across insulation, seals, propellants, motor cases, nozzles, and energetic systems.

The role contributes to building the M&P infrastructure needed to scale from prototype development to high-rate production. This includes developing material and process specifications, acceptance test procedures, and design allowables, and producing clear, configuration-controlled engineering documentation. The engineer will work hands-on in the lab and collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, quality, science, and program teams, taking on increasing ownership with support from experienced engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of materials and process engineering experience in material testing for aerospace, propulsion, or defense applications.
• Working knowledge in at least one of the following, with interest in developing knowledge in the others: polymer mechanics and rheology, propellant materials and processing, adhesive bonding, cure kinetics, and surface preparation.
• Exposure to developing material or process specifications.
• Experience with material characterization, testing, and documentation.
• Strong technical writing skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Master's or doctorate in Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Direct experience with materials used in solid rocket motors, including insulation, seals, propellants, motor cases, nozzles, and energetic components.
• Depth or growing interest in two or more of the following: high-temperature coatings, adhesives, insulation, liners, and ablatives; polymer surface characterization and modification; interfacial mechanics, chemistry, and behavior, including polymer-to-polymer, metal-to-polymer, and ceramic-to-polymer interfaces.
• Hands-on experience with polymer processing, propellant processing, composite fabrication, ablative manufacturing, or metal case production.
• Experience developing design allowables per CMH-17, JANNAF, or MIL-HDBK-17 standards.
• Experience with NDI methods and developing inspection procedures.
• Experience characterizing polymer material interfaces across solid rocket motor systems, including insulation-to-propellant, insulation-to-motor case, and seals-to-motor case, using mechanical, thermal, and/or spectroscopy methods.
• Familiarity with MIL-STDs, AIAA standards, and JANNAF best practices.
• Knowledge of rocket motor design, internal ballistics, and combustion environments.
• Experience participating in Engineering Review Boards, Material Review Boards, and Failure Review Boards.
• Experience transitioning processes from development to production in agile environments.

Responsibilities

• Connect polymeric material properties, characterization, and processing fundamentals to solid rocket motor design, formulation, testing, manufacturing, and performance.
• Build and maintain material specifications that connect system performance requirements to polymeric material formulations, covering raw materials, components, and assemblies such as liners, seals, propellants, cases, ablatives, insulators, adhesives, and coatings.
• Develop standard testing procedures to characterize mechanical, viscoelastic, thermal, and surface behavior of polymeric materials across motor components and assemblies.
• Create process specifications for manufacturing operations, including propellant processing, ablative manufacturing, insulation and liner bonding and surface preparation, surface modification, coating application, adhesive curing, heat treatment, and final assembly.
• Conduct materials characterization, including mechanical testing, thermal analysis, rheology, cure kinetics, surface energy and interfaces, and ablation performance.
• Develop design allowables from characterization results in accordance with industry standards such as CMH-17 and JANNAF.
• Partner with design and manufacturing teams to review drawings and manufacturing plans, support design reviews, and troubleshoot production issues.
• Work across science, engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program teams to translate mission requirements into appropriate material and process solutions.
• Contribute to cost-reduction and cycle-time improvement efforts for high-rate production.
• Prepare technical documentation that enables rapid work while maintaining rigor.

Benefits

• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers and are considered part of the total compensation package.
• Top-tier benefits for full-time employees, described as a comprehensive and competitive package available at little to no cost to employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level