Principal Materials Engineer

Are you a seasoned Materials Engineer looking to make a lasting impact in the field of aerospace and defense? The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) is seeking an exceptional Principal Materials Engineer to join our team. This is your chance to be part of a world-renowned research institution dedicated to advancing the frontiers of science and technology, performing more than $3 billion in cumulative sponsored research, with sponsored research for 2024 alone exceeding $250 million. Apply today!

This position will focus on understanding the material science issues of advanced manufacturing including additive manufacturing and repair processes, applied corrosion technologies, and connecting material properties to part end-use needs. This will include material/process risk assessments and selection, troubleshooting, ideation for process improvements and/or material replacement, providing subject matter expertise on structure-property and process-property relationships, test plan development and execution, test data interpretation, validation of part performance vs. end-use requirements, and evaluation of new and emerging technologies. The position will be initially focused on metal powder bed fusion additive manufacturing and cold spray and directed energy deposition repair technologies.

1. BS degree in relevant engineering field (such as chemical, materials, metallurgy, aerospace)
2. 12 years of directly related experience in the development of materials and material properties for product design engineering of metals, plastics, or ceramics
3. 5 years of experience with material testing (e.g. tensile testing, fatigue testing, XRD, CT, thermal analysis, etc.) and microstructure imaging and analysis (e.g. optical metallography, SEM imaging, EBSD, etc.)
4. Direct experience with heat treatment or other post-processing techniques
5. 5 years of experience developing and implementing operating procedures, process control plans, or process improvements
6. Experience setting up and conducting design of experiments (DOE)
7. Experience with statistical analysis of experimental data or statistical process control
8. Experience with additive manufacturing, cold spray repair, or advanced manufacturing and the development of material allowables for advanced manufacturing processes
9. Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills
10. Attention to detail and organizational skills
11. Successful collaboration within a multi-disciplinary team and ability to coordinate activities of a team
12. Self-motivation with ability to work with minimal supervision
13. Due to the requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a U.S. citizen

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

1. Master’s degree in relevant engineering field (such as chemical, materials, metallurgy, aerospace)
2. Doctoral degree in relevant engineering field (such as chemical, materials, metallurgy, aerospace)
3. 5 years of experience with additive manufacturing, developing parameter sets, and applying knowledge of structure-property and process-property relationships to additive manufacturing projects
4. Experience performing process optimization, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis
5. Experience with SolidWorks or another CAD software package
6. Experience with finite element analysis and modeling
7. Experience qualifying aerospace products and processes; working knowledge of US Air Force policies and procedures
8. Ability to promote inclusive excellence in the workplace

To apply please submit a cover letter addressing each minimum qualification and any applicable preferred qualifications that you meet.

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity, achieve equitable outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, we will not discriminate against minorities, women, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.