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Metal Manufacturing Engineer, Additive (DED)

Hadrian Automation· Manufacturing
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Los Angeles, CA$135k - $200kFull-timePosted 6mo ago

About the role

Additive Manufacturing Engineer - Applications focused on Directed Energy Deposition (DED); serves as a technical bridge between customer requirements and production-ready DED manufacturing solutions. Involves evaluating part feasibility, guiding DfAM, supporting process development, and scaling DED programs from early engagement through qualification and production in aerospace/defense contexts.

Responsibilities

  • Customer Technical Support & Requirements Capture: Support technical engagement with customers by gathering requirements, clarifying design intent, and translating program needs into actionable manufacturing plans that align customer requirements with feasible DED manufacturing solutions.
  • Program Feasibility & Application Development: Evaluate part and program fit for DED, identify technical risks, and support new application development, process selection, and manufacturing planning for critical hardware and production opportunities.
  • DfAM & Design Reviews: Provide DfAM guidance specific to DED, including deposition strategy, feature design, access constraints, heat input considerations, distortion risk, machining stock, and post-processing-aware design decisions.
  • Manufacturing Workflow & Build Planning: Define and optimize manufacturing workflows across design, deposition, post-processing, inspection, and certification, while supporting toolpath strategy, setup planning, and production readiness.
  • DED Process Development & Industrialization: Partner with internal process and manufacturing teams to develop, mature, and industrialize DED capabilities, including equipment readiness, process windows, parameter refinement, and transition from development to repeatable production.
  • Robustness, Repeatability & Process Improvement: Identify and drive improvements that make DED platforms and workflows more robust and repeatable based on machine behavior, deposition quality, process data, nonconformance trends, and production performance.
  • Materials & Process Integration: Work with materials and quality teams to evaluate weldability, heat input effects, residual stress, mechanical performance, geometric accuracy, and surface condition to refine parameters and manufacturing guidance for high-performance alloys.
  • Post-Processing & Secondary Operations Integration: Coordinate stress relief, heat treatment, HIP where applicable, machining, inspection, and finishing for end-to-end manufacturability.
  • Qualification & Validation Execution: Support qualification planning, validation builds, coupons, test plans, NDT strategy, acceptance criteria definition, first article activities, and data package development for customer approval and production release.
  • Data, Traceability & Documentation: Maintain engineering documentation, process records, work instructions, specifications, and traceability artifacts; support process control plans, calibration routines, and reporting workflows for quality and production execution.
  • Technical Problem Solving: Investigate machine, process, and part quality issues using root cause analysis; disposition nonconforming hardware and support corrective actions to improve yield and cost.
  • Cross-Functional & External Coordination: Collaborate with Additive Manufacturing, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Materials, Supply Chain, and Operations; coordinate with machine OEMs, materials suppliers, external processors, test labs, and contract manufacturers.
  • Best Practices, Standardization & Safety: Capture lessons learned, develop best practices for DED equipment and processes, improve standard work and design guidance, support make-buy decisions, and improve safety across the workflow.
  • Technical Communication: Present technical recommendations, trade studies, risk assessments, and status updates to internal stakeholders and customers; support technical reviews and supplier interactions.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Mechanical, Materials, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Welding, or related field.
  • 4+ years of experience in additive manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, applications engineering, process engineering, or development of metallic additive technologies, preferably with DED.
  • Hands-on knowledge of metal DED processes and production workflow including design considerations, pre-process planning, deposition, post-processing, inspection, and qualification.
  • Experience with DfAM principles specific to DED and interaction between deposition strategy, machining, distortion control, and downstream performance.
  • Working knowledge of welding metallurgy, heat input control, residual stress management, and mechanical performance in deposited metallic structures.
  • Experience with engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance interpretation, and inspection planning.
  • Experience supporting part development from prototype through qualification or early production.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to communicate with customers, engineers, technicians, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
  • Willingness to travel up to 15-20%, primarily within the U.S.
  • U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident required for ITAR compliance.

Skills

Required:Additive Manufacturing (DED)DfAM (DED specific)Welding Metallurgy & Heat InputGD&T & Inspection PlanningProject & Process Planning

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
  • 401k
  • Relocation support may be provided for certain situations
  • Flexible vacation policy
  • Equity
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building the planet's most efficient factories to accelerate a free, abundant, spacefaring future.

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