Materials Scientist

Raven Space Systems•Broomfield, CO

1d•$100,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Raven Space Systems (Raven) is a venture-backed startup with active government programs and strong commercial momentum, helping revitalize the industrial base by developing breakthroughs in automated manufacturing to build factories of the future and enable the US to compete globally. To meet this critical need, Raven is building breakthrough composite 3D printing smart factories for thermal protection, lightweight structures, and more for aerospace and defense. Our Microwave Assisted Deposition (MAD) innovation unlocks scalable 3D printing of highly tailorable, commercial-off-the-shelf thermoset and ceramic composite materials for the first time. The technology is based on Direct Ink Write (DIW), the most versatile additive manufacturing technology, which utilizes the highest-performance materials. However, DIW has been stuck in the lab for over 20 years due to its inability to 3D print full-scale composite parts. Raven’s MAD 3D printing factories bring DIW to full-scale production of parts and systems. Our technology stack leverages MAD 3D printing, real-time monitoring and controls, and data-driven learning to deploy the most efficient and versatile advanced manufacturing factories. Our mission is to transform composite manufacturing to alleviate critical supply chain bottlenecks and accelerate innovation. A Materials Scientist at Raven will lead the development, testing, and optimization of thermoset and ceramic composite materials used in our MAD 3D printing systems. This is a hands-on, foundational role for an experienced materials expert passionate about translating innovative formulations into real-world production processes. You will work closely with our hardware and software teams to tune material behavior for extrusion, microwave-curing, ablation resistance, and mechanical performance. You will also help refine mixing protocols and support the scale-up of printable pastes for production across thermal protection systems, lightweight structures, and other critical aerospace applications.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or related field
4+ years of experience with composite materials, especially thermosets or ceramics
Strong knowledge of formulation chemistry, particularly for filled resins and paste-like materials
Hands-on experience with materials mixing, degassing, and rheological control
Familiarity with techniques such as DSC, TGA, DMA, tensile testing, and microscopy
Experience developing or scaling manufacturing processes for engineered materials
Comfort working in cross-disciplinary teams with mechanical, software, and operations personnel

Nice To Haves

PhD in Materials Science or related field
Experience with ablative composites, ceramic-matrix composites, or carbon-carbon systems
Familiarity with Direct Ink Write (DIW) or paste extrusion additive manufacturing
Experience supporting aerospace or defense hardware programs
Exposure to high-temperature materials, thermal protection systems, or propulsion insulation

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize thermoset and ceramic composite formulations for use in MAD 3D printing, including epoxy, phenolic, carbon-filled, aqueous ceramics, etc.
Design and refine materials mixing protocols and equipment strategies to ensure batch consistency, processability, and printability
Lead testing and characterization of material properties, thermal stability, cure kinetics, mechanical, including rheology, and ablation performance
Support the scale-up of formulations from lab-scale to production-level batches with tight process controls
Interface with software and hardware engineers to ensure proper extrusion behavior, curing dynamics, and print reliability
Assist in establishing quality control systems for incoming materials, in-process inspection, and final part validation
Maintain documentation of formulations, experimental results, and processing parameters to support repeatability and audit readiness
Evaluate and qualify raw material vendors and identify new material inputs as needed
Contribute to intellectual property and technical strategy for Raven’s composite material stack