Materials and Manufacturing Engineer

Responsible for material selection, characterization, and performance optimization in industrial manufacturing environments. This role emphasizes applied materials science—linking microstructure, processing methods, and service conditions to product reliability and manufacturability—while maintaining practical involvement in production processes. Materials include thermosets, thermoplastics, and alloy steels.

Core Responsibilities

Materials Engineering & Analysis

- Select and qualify materials based on strength, fatigue, wear, corrosion, and temperature requirements

- Analyze material behavior under real operating conditions (cyclic loading, thermal exposure, contact stress)

- Conduct failure analysis (fracture, fatigue, wear, creep, environmental effects) and define corrective actions

- Interpret microstructure (grain size, phase distribution, inclusions) and relate to mechanical performance

- Define and validate material specifications, including hardness, tensile properties, and toughness

Process–Material Integration

- Develop and optimize heat treatment processes (normalize, quench & temper, induction, case hardening)

- Understand and control residual stress, distortion, and heat-affected zones from manufacturing processes

- Support material/process tradeoffs to balance performance, cost, and manufacturability

Product Performance & Reliability

- Assess fatigue life and failure risk under cyclic and dynamic loading

- Support design improvements through material or treatment changes

- Validate performance through testing, field data, and analytical methods

Testing & Validation

- Specify and interpret lab and field tests (tensile, hardness, impact, fatigue, metallography)

- Work with external labs or internal resources for material characterization

- Establish acceptance criteria and quality standards for incoming materials and finished parts

Cross-Functional Support

- Collaborate with design engineering to ensure proper material selection and realistic performance assumptions

- Interface with suppliers on material quality, certification, and consistency

- Support manufacturing with material-related troubleshooting and process adjustments

- Contribute to documentation: specifications, procedures, and engineering reports

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering with strong materials focus

- Experience in applied materials engineering within industrial or manufacturing environments

- Strong understanding of metallurgy (steel alloys, heat treatment, microstructure-property relationships)

- Experience with failure analysis and root cause investigation

- Ability to translate material science principles into practical production decisions

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with high-strength steels (e.g., 4140, 4340, 4320) and alloy systems

- Experience with pultrusion and composites

- Background in fatigue, fracture mechanics, and wear analysis

- Experience with composites or polymer-based materials

- Knowledge of oilfield, heavy equipment, or high-load mechanical systems

Key Traits

- Analytical and detail-oriented with strong physical intuition for material behavior

- Practical approach to solving real-world performance problems

- Comfortable working between lab analysis and production environments

- Strong ownership of product reliability and performance outcomes

Work Environment

- Mix of engineering analysis, lab/testing coordination, and production support

- Regular interaction with manufacturing processes and material suppliers

- Focus on measurable improvements in performance, durability, and cost

Outcome Focus

- In-house materials guru

- Improved material performance (strength, fatigue life, wear resistance)

- Reduced failure rates and field issues

- Optimized heat treatment and processing methods

- Consistent, reliable material quality across production

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $65,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

- 401(k)

- 401(k) matching

- Dental insurance

- Flexible schedule

- Health insurance

- Paid time off

- Parental leave

- Professional development assistance

- Retirement plan

- Vision insurance

Work Location: In person