Materials & Process Engineer

Stoke Space • Kent, WA

14h • $129,150 - $252,105

About The Position

Stoke is building Nova, a fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle designed for daily flight. The Materials & Process Engineer will support reusable launch vehicles by leading strategy, testing, characterization, and qualification efforts for Stoke’s material systems. The role collaborates with design, analysis, and manufacturing teams throughout the product lifecycle and helps ensure Nova’s reliability, performance, and producibility. Candidates should be prepared to stay focused, move quickly, work independently, and learn on the fly.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in materials engineering, with demonstrated expertise in material selection, characterization, qualification, testing, and failure analysis.
• Experience across multiple material systems and processes, including metals, soft goods, coatings, powder metallurgy, welding, and heat treatment.
• Proficiency with material characterization techniques and tools, including metallography, microscopy, and mechanical testing.
• Demonstrated track record of material and process decisions validated through flight or equivalent high-reliability hardware programs.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field.
• Experience architecting materials and process programs for rocket systems across the full development lifecycle, including requirements definition, trade studies, development testing, and qualification.
• Familiarity with ASTM, NASA, and AWS industry standards.
• Expertise in materials and process disciplines including fracture mechanics, corrosion control, statistics, and failure analysis.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the responsible materials and process engineer for Stoke’s engines, structures, mechanisms, coatings, and adhesives.
• Trade, evaluate, and select materials for hardware systems, considering performance requirements, cost, and sustainability factors.
• Design and execute material characterization programs, including mechanical testing, environmental exposure, fatigue, and failure analysis, and generate original properties data.
• Author, implement, and maintain materials and process requirements, material specifications, testing protocols, and engineering work standards related to Stoke material systems.
• Lead failure analysis and root-cause investigations for material-related anomalies and establish corrective-action processes that feed back into design iteration.
• Evaluate, qualify, and manage material suppliers, including receiving inspection criteria, lot acceptance requirements, and supply-chain risk mitigation.
• Define Stoke’s materials strategy and qualification philosophy.
• Collaborate with engines, structures, analysis, avionics, valves, welding, additive, and manufacturing teams to create a system-level material property database.
• Build and maintain Stoke’s materials characterization lab, testing protocols, and development workflows.

Benefits

• Equity in the form of stock options for regular, full-time employees.
• Comprehensive benefits program, including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Company-paid life and disability insurance.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Four weeks of paid time off.
• 10 holidays, including an end-of-year closure.
• Paid family/parental leave.
• On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend, depending on location.
• Dog-friendly offices.

What This Job Offers

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