Senior Contract Process Engineer / Project Contractor

Beehive Industries•Cincinnati, OH

17d

About The Position

This highly experienced contract role leads the end-to-end insourcing of pre-penetrant etch processes to support Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI). The position establishes safe, controlled, and scalable chemical etch operations that remove a precisely controlled layer of smeared metal from machined surfaces so subsequent FPI can reliably detect surface-breaking defects. The role coordinates across Facilities, EHS, Quality, Operations, and external vendors to design, qualify, and ramp the process from concept through production readiness. The posting describes this as a 9 month plus contract position. The engineer leads process selection, equipment layout, development of material-specific etch recipes, facilities integration, safety and environmental compliance, vendor management, process controls, documentation, qualification, and transition to steady-state production. The role ensures traceability, dimensional impact control, and integration with upstream machining and downstream FPI workflows.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field.
10+ years of hands-on experience in chemical processing, metal finishing, etching/pickling, or surface preparation, with significant experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability manufacturing.
Demonstrated success standing up or transferring chemical process lines, including facilities integration, EHS compliance, and production ramp.
Direct experience with pre-penetrant etch or equivalent controlled material-removal processes supporting NDT/FPI, including etch-rate control, alloy-specific chemistry, and process qualification.
Proven experience coordinating cross-functional teams and managing external vendors on capital or process installation projects.
Experience with regulatory and customer requirements relevant to chemical processing and NDT, such as NADCAP AC7108/AC7114, ASTM E1417, NAS 410, AS9100, and customer process specifications.
Strong technical knowledge of wet chemical etch processes, solution chemistry control, material compatibility, and dimensional/stock-loss management.
Expertise in EHS for hazardous chemicals, including engineering controls, PPE, exposure monitoring, emergency systems, and waste handling.
Project management capability to drive multi-stakeholder initiatives from concept through production readiness on a contract timeline.
Excellent documentation, procedure-writing, and training skills, with the ability to create clear, auditable process packages.
Analytical and problem-solving skills for process troubleshooting, data-driven control, SPC, and continuous improvement.
Effective communication and collaboration skills across technical, operations, and support functions; comfortable leading meetings and driving accountability.
Familiarity with process equipment selection, layout, ventilation design considerations, and vendor technical management.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Prior Level II or III NDT experience or working knowledge of FPI process controls and indication interpretation.
Experience with aerospace OEM etch specifications such as HS7725 or RPS series, or NADCAP chemical processing audits.
Background in wastewater treatment systems, scrubbers, or closed-loop chemical handling for metal finishing.
Lean/Six Sigma or formal project management certification.
Experience with electropolishing as an alternative or complementary pre-FPI preparation method.

Responsibilities

Lead the project to design, install, qualify, and scale in-house pre-penetrant etch capability supporting FPI, including process selection, equipment layout, and material-specific etch recipes.
Coordinate with Facilities on space allocation, ventilation and exhaust systems, containment, utilities, emergency showers and eyewash, and wastewater and treatment infrastructure.
Partner with EHS to develop and implement safety programs, chemical handling procedures, PPE requirements, exposure controls, spill response, hazardous waste management, and regulatory compliance.
Manage vendors for equipment, chemicals, process controls, and analytical services; drive RFQs, technical evaluations, installation support, and supply agreements.
Establish process controls for etch-rate monitoring, solution chemistry analysis, temperature control, process control coupons or tabs, statistical process control, and documentation.
Develop and document standard operating procedures, work instructions, training materials, and qualification packages; support personnel certification where applicable.
Drive risk assessments, including PHA/HAZOP-style assessments and FMEA, and continuous improvement to ensure safe, repeatable, dimensionally controlled processes capable of supporting production volumes.
Oversee pilot trials, process qualification, first-article runs, and transition to steady-state operations; troubleshoot chemistry, equipment, and quality issues during ramp-up.
Ensure full traceability, dimensional impact control, and integration with upstream machining and downstream FPI workflows.