Senior Coatings Process Engineer / SME - 27134

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. • Willowbrook, CA

1d • $92,760 - $145,000

About The Position

HII, Mission Technologies has an opportunity available for a highly experienced Senior Coatings Process Engineer / Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support the development of advanced polymer‑based coatings for DoD and commercial applications, including high‑temperature and ablative thermal‑protection elastomers. The opportunity will focuse on providing expert guidance across formulation, scale‑up, and production readiness. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of MIL‑Spec coating requirements and a proven track record of developing, qualifying, and launching high‑performance coating systems. We are open to considering full-time and/or part-time applicants.

Requirements

• Level 3 - 5 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 3 years relevant experience with Masters in realted field; 0 years experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 9 years relevant experience.
• Level 4 - 9 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 7 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 4 years relevant experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in realted field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 13 years relevant experience.
• 5+ years of experience working within government and/or defense with similar product lines - specifically with MIL-Spec coating systems.
• Strong understanding of the coatings supply chain, qualification process, and customer expectations.
• Demonstrated experience launching or advising on new coating lines or products.
• Background in chemistry, chemical engineering, coatings technology, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical advisor for coating formulation, processing, and production.
• Guide equipment selection, facility layout, and production‑line setup for coatings manufacturing.
• Review and refine formulation strategies to ensure compliance with MIL‑Spec and other relevant standards.
• Support identification of target customers, programs, and applications within defense markets.
• Oversee qualification testing, conformance testing, and regulatory compliance activities.
• Define scale‑up pathways, raw‑material sourcing strategies, and best practices for efficient, repeatable production.
• Act as a technical liaison between internal teams, suppliers, and external partners to ensure alignment across development and manufacturing.
• Contribute to market strategy, product positioning, and competitive differentiation in CONUS/OCONUS defense and commercial coatings markets.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve technical or operational issues that may impact production quality or throughput.
• Support R&D activities, including testing, evaluation, documentation, and reporting for new coating technologies and elastomeric systems.

Benefits

• We offer competitive benefits such as best-in-class medical, dental and vision plan choices; wellness resources; employee assistance programs; Savings Plan Options (401(k)); financial planning tools, life insurance; employee discounts; paid holidays and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; as well as early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships.
• Bonus/other non-recurrent compensation is occasionally offered for qualified positions, and if applicable to this role will be addressed by the recruiter at the screening phase of application.

What This Job Offers

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