← All roles

Polymer Manufacturing Engineer, Additive

Hadrian Automation· Manufacturing
Apply on company site
Texarkana, TXFull-timePosted 1w ago

About the role

Role leading polymer additive manufacturing (AM) production operations and systems integration to scale automated production within Hadrian’s OPUS platform, focusing on integrating AM machines, automation, and data systems for scalable, high-throughput production (initially for sUAS and related defense platforms).

Responsibilities

  • Production Operations and Performance: Own polymer AM production operations including scheduling, throughput, yield, utilization, and on-time delivery. Establish and maintain operational cadence, production metrics, and continuous improvement disciplines across the AM cell.
  • Systems Integration and OPUS Enablement: Lead the end-to-end integration of polymer AM machines, peripherals, and cell infrastructure into OPUS, including connectivity, machine state models, telemetry, data quality, traceability, and enforceable interlocks.
  • Integration Architecture and Standards: Define system requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), integration kits, and machine acceptance criteria that scale across multiple OEMs, process technologies, configurations, and sites.
  • Automation and Cell Industrialization: Lead automation strategy for AM cells including powder and material handling, build volume exchange, part removal, depowdering and cleaning, material flow, and operator ergonomics. Drive step-change improvements in utilization, throughput, and safety.
  • OEM and Vendor Partnerships: Serve as Hadrian's technical lead with machine OEMs (Stratasys, HP, and others), automation integrators, and key suppliers to unlock deeper integration (APIs, controller access, logging, remote operations, calibration hooks, serviceability). Translate needs into joint development roadmaps and deliverables.
  • Commissioning, FAT/SAT, and Qualification Support: Build and own factory acceptance test (FAT) and site acceptance test (SAT) protocols, commissioning checklists, and validation plans. Partner with Quality and Process teams to ensure integrated systems support qualification and production release.
  • Reliability, Maintainability, and Uptime: Establish reliability engineering discipline for AM equipment (PM strategy, spares, calibration, MTBF and MTTR tracking, failure mode mitigation). Lead structured root cause and corrective action with OEMs and internal teams.
  • Machine Modification and Performance Upgrades: Lead efforts to implement hardware, firmware, and configuration improvements that increase build volume utilization, process stability, and throughput (for example thermal management, recoater and deposition systems, calibration, and print parameter optimization), while maintaining configuration control.
  • Manufacturing Controls and Documentation: Own standard work for machine operation and integration points, including equipment control procedures, safety interlocks, change control, and training. Ensure readiness for regulated environments and customer audits.
  • Team Leadership and Development: Hire, coach, and develop a high-performing team across machine operations, engineering, controls, automation, and integration. Set execution cadence, prioritize the portfolio, and build reusable frameworks and knowledge bases.
  • Cross-Functional Execution: Partner tightly with Applications Engineering, Materials and Process, Manufacturing Engineering, Factory Automation, Software, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations to industrialize solutions and deliver production commitments.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Controls, Robotics, Manufacturing, or related); Master's degree is a plus.
  • 5-7 years of experience in polymer additive manufacturing operations, systems engineering, equipment engineering, automation, or factory-scale integration, with deep familiarity in one or more of the following technologies: Stratasys SAF, HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), FDM, SLA, or SLS. Equivalent experience in factory automation, equipment integration, or manufacturing systems engineering with meaningful polymer AM exposure will also be considered.
  • 3+ years of people leadership experience (manager or team lead) with a track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
  • Hands-on knowledge of polymer powder bed fusion or material extrusion machine architecture and key subsystems including powder or material handling, thermal management, print heads or optics, recoater or deposition systems, build volume management, atmospheres and environmental controls, sensing and monitoring, and post-processing workflow.
  • Demonstrated experience working with production-grade polymer materials such as PA11, PA12, or similar engineering thermoplastics, including an understanding of material behavior, refresh ratios, and recyclability in a production environment.
  • Demonstrated experience integrating complex equipment into higher-level software systems (MES, SCADA, equipment management, manufacturing data pipelines, or similar), including requirements definition and interface standards.
  • Experience managing production operations in a manufacturing environment, including capacity planning, scheduling, yield management, and delivery performance.
  • Experience deploying automation in production manufacturing environments, including safety, interlocks, commissioning, and sustaining engineering.
  • Strong problem-solving using structured methods (8D, 5 Whys, fishbone) and proven ability to drive corrective and preventive actions to closure.
  • Willing to travel up to 20%, including international supplier visits; U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (required for ITAR compliance).

Skills

Required:Polymer additive manufacturing (AM) operationsSystems integrationAutomation and cell industrializationOEM and vendor managementQualification and validationReliability and maintainabilityDocumentation and controlled processesLeadership

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
  • 401k
  • Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
  • Flexible vacation policy
  • Equity
Last updated Oct 14, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
Hadrian Automation logo

About Hadrian Automation

Manufacturing the Future

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

ManufacturingFactories
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at Hadrian Automation