Process Engineer

General Overview:

This associate is responsible for technical ownership, support, and continuous improvement of energetic material manufacturing processes required to support production deliverables and new product development efforts. These processes range from dry-blending of materials to complex chemical synthesis of initiating explosives. This is a hands-on engineering role that works directly with production operators and cross-functional partners to ensure assigned processes operate safely, reliably, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable Process Safety Management (PSM) and regulatory requirements. The candidate will be responsible for teaming with Purchasing, R&D lab, Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Chemical Lab personnel, and Program Management.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and support Process Safety Management (PSM) activities for new and existing processes, including Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Management of Change (MOC), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), PSM audits, technical documentation, and implementation of corrective actions to assure personnel safety, environmental compliance, and safe operation.
• Maintain and improve existing energetic material processes to resolve safety concerns and enhance productivity, quality, reliability, and material performance.
• Participate in activities that provide required technical inputs for proposals.
• Support production manufacturing efforts including non-conforming material disposition, powder qualification testing for release to production, assessment of raw, precursor, and finished materials, and active engagement with the Integrated Product Team (IPT) to resolve issues involving manufacturing processes and product testing related to energetic materials.
• Develop toward independent technical ownership of assigned energetic material process lines and associated equipment. Work hands-on and shoulder-to-shoulder with production operators to ensure reliable supply of energetic material and provide guidance and technical leadership in resolving issues that impact safety, scrap, productivity, quality, equipment reliability, and product performance.
• Create, update, and maintain technical documentation, including manufacturing instructions, operating procedures, process specifications, engineering reports, process-safety documentation, and other controlled documents.
• Apply statistical analysis and statistical process control to key process variables, including process capability, trend analysis, population/sample comparisons, and relationships between process variables to support process optimization and data-driven decision making.
• Lead structured problem-solving activities related to production anomalies, nonconforming lots, equipment issues, testing, customer complaints, or field returns using tools such as FMEA, Failure Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, and other appropriate methodologies.
• Support the Purchasing team to ensure the quality of raw materials, investigate supplier-related issues, and identify alternative sources of raw materials.
• Research new manufacturing technologies that can be leveraged to replace aging processes or equipment, improve capability, and support future business needs. Working knowledge of PLC-controlled manufacturing equipment is a plus.
• Support engineering project tasks including new equipment implementation, process changes, qualification activities, and conversion of lab-scale synthesis into full-scale manufacturing operations. Support scale-up, ramp-up, and introduction of new products and process families as business needs evolve.

Key Skills/Qualifications:

• BS in Chemical Engineering strongly preferred. A BS in Chemistry or another closely related engineering or scientific discipline may be considered when combined with relevant process or manufacturing experience. MS preferred but not required.
• 3 or more years of relevant engineering experience preferred; exceptional candidates with less experience and strong technical depth may be considered. Experience in aerospace/defense, energetics, explosives, pyrotechnics, specialty chemical manufacturing, or another highly regulated process-manufacturing environment is preferred. Direct ordnance experience is preferred but not required when the candidate brings strong transferable process engineering and/or PSM experience. MS-level or higher education may be considered in lieu of a portion of experience.
• Working knowledge of organic and inorganic synthesis.
• Strong understanding of oxidation-reduction reactions and fundamental chemical-process principles.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Process Safety Management and process-safety practices. Experience with PHA, MOC, PSSR, PSM audits, process-safety documentation, and corrective-action implementation strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of FMEA, Failure Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, statistical process control, or similar problem-solving tools preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Strong Excel capability is preferred. Working knowledge of Access, Visio, and Project is a plus.
• Ability to provide verbal and written communication of technical knowledge in a clear and understandable manner.
• Interpersonal skills promoting effective interaction with operators, other staff, customers, and suppliers. Ability to influence without formal authority and respectfully challenge existing processes or technical assumptions when appropriate.
• Builds strong relationships with internal cross-functional disciplines and promotes effective team collaboration. Must be comfortable working hands-on in the production environment and developing credibility with experienced operators.
• Working knowledge of statistical software applications such as Minitab, JMP, or comparable tools. Lean and/or Six Sigma knowledge is preferred; demonstrated practical application is valued over certification alone.

Work Environment:

• This position is fully on-site at the Chandler, Arizona facility and requires regular presence in an active manufacturing environment. The role involves direct interaction with production operators, process equipment, energetic materials, including bulk energetic materials and primary explosives, and hazardous chemical processes. The position is not a desk-only engineering role and requires meaningful production-floor involvement. Work schedules are driven by manufacturing needs and may require early starts and occasional extended hours. Travel is expected to be minimal, generally less than 5%.

Export Control Requirement:

Due to U.S. Government contract requirements applicable to this position, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment in this role.

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