Senior Powder Metallurgist

Job Purpose

As the Senior Powder Metallurgist at VulcanForms you will help to establish and scale world-class powder metallurgy science, testing, and quality systems that enable reliable, repeatable, and cost-effective metal additive manufacturing production at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and advance in-house expertise in metal powder behavior, degradation mechanisms, reuse strategies, and their impact on LPBF process stability and part quality.
• Design, validate, and standardize powder testing and characterization methods, linking powder properties to build performance and mechanical outcomes.
• Define, implement, and maintain powder specifications, acceptance criteria, and quality standards to support high-volume, repeatable production.
• Develop and deploy closed-loop powder quality, tracking, and recycling systems that improve yield, reduce variability, and lower material cost.
• Serve as the technical authority for powder-related issues, leading root-cause analysis of build failures in partnership with engineering, operations, and quality teams.
• Establish powder-focused KPIs, statistical controls, documentation, and continuous improvement workflows across manufacturing operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in powder metallurgy, metal additive manufacturing, or closely related materials engineering roles.
• Demonstrated expertise in metal powder characterization methods such as SEM/EDS, ICP-OES, laser-based particle size analysis, flowability testing, and thermal or chemical analysis.
• Proven experience developing material testing procedures, specifications, and quality control systems in an industrial or production environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a track record of data-driven decision-making.
• Experience collaborating across engineering, operations, and quality organizations to resolve complex manufacturing issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scaling powder management and recycling systems in a high-volume additive manufacturing production environment.
• Hands-on familiarity with titanium alloys (including Ti-6Al-4V / Ti64 ELI) and other AM-relevant materials.
• Working knowledge of statistical process control (SPC), applied statistics, and materials data management or informatics tools.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in laboratory and manufacturing environments, including occasional handling of metal powders and test equipment, in compliance with safety protocols.

VulcanForms offers a competitive salary and equity package. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, VulcanForms provides comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; generous paid time off; and a 401(k) plan with company match. 

The annual base salary range for this position is $96,000 to $132,000.