Sr. Materials & Process Engineer
About The Position
Collins Aerospace is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Sr. Materials & Process Engineer to provide technical leadership for material selection, qualification, and process integration across its manufacturing site in Wilson, North Carolina. The role supports the design and manufacture of fire protection systems for commercial and military aircraft and ground vehicles, driving innovation in materials characterization and analysis to improve critical performance metrics. The engineer leads and supports surface finishing, chemical processing, and bonding processes, including process development, qualification, troubleshooting, and standardization. The role works closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Engineering, Operations, and Design Engineering to resolve production issues, improve manufacturing performance, support new product introduction, and ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, environmental, safety, and industry requirements.
Requirements
- Degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or Chemistry and at least 5 years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree in a related field and at least 3 years of experience.
- Direct experience with chemical processing operations, such as cleaning, pickling, passivation, chromate, anodizing, or related chemical surface treatments.
- Direct experience with surface finishing processes such as paint, coatings, sealants, masking, surface preparation, or curing.
- Direct experience with chemical processing, adhesive bonding, or sealant processes.
- Direct experience with material characterization methods such as SEM, EDS, CT scan, fatigue testing, or corrosion analysis.
- U.S. citizenship; the posting states that only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under the program or contract.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in aerospace, defense, or highly regulated manufacturing.
- Knowledge of AS9100, Nadcap, FAA, or other aerospace quality and regulatory requirements.
- Experience in a production support environment.
- Understanding of lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies.
- Experience with DOE, SPC, statistical analysis, or other advanced process methods.
Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership for surface finishing processes, including paint, coatings, sealants, surface preparation, masking, application, curing, and sealing; establish process parameters, controls, acceptance criteria, and monitoring methods.
- Provide technical leadership for chemical processing operations, including cleaning, pickling, passivation, and chromate processes, as well as bonding processes.
- Troubleshoot adhesion, coating thickness, cure, contamination, surface preparation, bond strength, defects, appearance, and environmental-condition issues.
- Partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Engineering, Operations, and Design Engineering to investigate nonconformances, escapes, and process variation; perform root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
- Develop, optimize, qualify, and standardize processes to improve yield, quality, throughput, material utilization, and cost.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce scrap, rework, and process variation.
- Develop and maintain process specifications, work instructions, process controls, and manufacturing best practices.
- Support qualification of new materials, suppliers, application methods, equipment, and processes.
- Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for process-related defects and nonconformances.
- Support new product introduction, process validation, PFMEA, control plans, and production readiness.
- Ensure processes comply with applicable customer, regulatory, environmental, safety, and industry requirements.
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees
- 401(k) plan with employer matching funds and a separate employer retirement contribution
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Student Loan Repayment Program
- Life insurance
- Disability coverage
- Optional pet insurance
- Optional home and auto insurance
- Optional additional life and accident insurance
- Optional critical illness insurance
- Optional group legal coverage
- Optional identity theft protection
- Birth, adoption, and parental leave benefits
- Fertility and family-planning benefits
- Adoption assistance
- Autism benefit
- Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions
- Wellness rewards program
- Virtual doctor visits
- Child and elder care services
- Medical second-opinion program
- Flexible spending accounts
- Flexible work schedules
- Paid time off
- Holidays
- May be eligible for relocation
- May be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
