Manufacturing Engineer - Sheet Metal & Superalloys
Job Description
Sheet Metal Manufacturing Engineer
Huntington Beach, CA (On-Site)
About the company
A defense startup building the next generation of made-in-USA attritable jet turbine engines for Group 1–3 UAV programs. AS9100 certified, with a world-class engineering team and a seed round currently in progress. We move fast, we build things, and we don't do bureaucracy.
About the role
This is a ground-floor opportunity to own and build out a sheet metal forming department. You will have full ownership of the capability — from equipment selection and tooling design to process development and part production. There is no ceiling on what you can build here and no committee to answer to. If you've been waiting for a role where your decisions actually matter and your work ships, this is it.
What you'll own
- Own the sheet metal forming capability end to end — spinning, forming, rolling, and stamping of high-temperature superalloy components
- Select and procure forming equipment appropriate for superalloy geometries
- Design tooling and fixtures in CAD for forming operations
- Develop and document all process SOPs, work instructions, and quality procedures
- Qualify forming processes to meet AS9100 standards
- Produce actual parts — this is a hands-on role, not a process architecture role
- Collaborate with design and manufacturing engineering teams to optimize parts for formability (DFM)
- Identify heat treatment and annealing requirements to support superalloy formability
- Iterate on tooling and process to continuously improve output quality and speed
What we need from you
- Proven experience owning a forming or sheet metal process — ideally standing one up or significantly expanding it
- Hands-on experience forming high-temperature superalloys: Inconel 625/718, Hastelloy, Haynes alloys, high-temp stainless, or nickel-based alloys
- Proficiency in CAD for tooling and fixture design — you design your own tools
- Strong understanding of superalloy forming behavior — cracking, tearing, springback, and how to engineer around it
- Experience with metal spinning, deep drawing, bump rolling, or stamping of tight-tolerance aerospace components
- Ability to specify and source manufacturing equipment
- Ability to write SOPs, process documentation, and quality records
- U.S. Person required — ITAR
Preferred but not required
- Background in turbomachinery hot section components — combustors, cases, housings
- Familiarity with AS9100 process qualification
- Automotive stamping and tooling design background — the geometry and discipline translate well
- Heat treat and annealing process knowledge for superalloy formability
Compensation
Up to $185,000 base + equity
- Platinum healthcare — 100% covered for you and your family
- Life / AD&D and long-term disability fully covered
- Unlimited PTO
- Lunch and fully stocked kitchen
- Relocation assistance available