SME - Surface Treatment & Painting, Automated Solutions (12-month FTC)

VentureOne; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 360,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

VentureOne is seeking an SME – Surface Treatment & Painting to act as the technical authority for coating and surface engineering across aerospace & defense programs. You will establish, optimize, and sustain high-reliability finishing processes including E-coating, CCC, and primer/topcoat painting, ensuring compliance with MIL-STD, ASTM, ISO, and NADCAP where applicable.

You will collaborate across manufacturing, quality, design, automation, and supply chain teams to ensure robust process

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 12+ years of hands-on experience in surface treatment and industrial coating processes in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability industries.
• Strong expertise in anodizing, CCC, E-coating, and wet painting processes (primer and topcoat).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development, qualification, and optimization of surface treatment processes including anodizing, CCC and E-coating systems.
• Define and standardize process parameters such as bath chemistry, current density, temperature, curing cycles, and coating thickness.
• Act as the technical authority for primer and topcoat applications including epoxy, polyurethane, and CARC coatings used in defense systems.
• Design and optimize automatic chemical dosing and mixing systems for process baths with precise control of concentration, pH, temperature, and conductivity.
• Monitor and maintain bath chemistry through automated systems and manual verification methods.
• Ensure adherence to MIL-STD, ASTM, ISO, and NADCAP requirements; develop process control plans and PFMEA.
• Lead qualification and validation activities including salt spray testing and environmental durability testing.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and QA to ensure coating compatibility and robust process integration.

Skills

Surface treatment

Industrial coating

Anodizing

CCC coating

E-coating

Quality systems

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Job description

About Us

Are you ready to shape how cutting-edge technologies are positioned, understood, and adopted by real markets? At VentureOne, we build ventures and commercialize breakthrough technologies emerging from advanced research. Our focus spans Aerospace and Space, Security and Defense, Sustainability, Environment and Energy, and Transportation, with technologies across Cryptography, Secure Systems, Directed Energy, Advanced Materials, Autonomous Systems, and more.

About The Role

The SME – Surface Treatment & Painting will serve as the technical authority for all coating and surface engineering processes across aerospace & defense manufacturing programs. This role is responsible for establishing, optimizing, and sustaining high-reliability finishing processes including E-coating, anodizing, chromate conversion coating (CCC), and primer/topcoat painting, ensuring compliance with stringent military and aerospace standards.

The position plays a critical role in enhancing corrosion resistance, durability, and lifecycle performance of critical components while driving process innovation, digitization, and sustainability in coating operations. The SME will work cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, design, automation and supply chain teams to ensure robust process integration from design stage through production and field performance.

Key Responsibilities

Process Ownership & Technical Leadership

• Lead end-to-end development, qualification, and optimization of surface treatment processes including anodizing (Type II, Type III), chromate conversion coating and E-coating systems.
• Define and standardize process parameters such as bath chemistry, current density, temperature control, curing cycles, and coating thickness.
• Act as the technical authority for primer and topcoat applications including epoxy, polyurethane, and CARC coatings used in defense systems.
• Design, implement, and optimize automatic chemical dosing and mixing systems for process baths, ensuring precise control of concentration, pH, temperature, and conductivity.
• Monitor and maintain bath chemistry through automated systems and manual verification methods.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure adherence to international and defense standards such as MIL-STD, ASTM, ISO, and NADCAP requirements.
• Develop and implement process control plans, PFMEA, and inspection criteria for coating thickness (DFT), adhesion, hardness, and corrosion resistance.
• Lead qualification and validation activities including salt spray testing, cyclic corrosion testing, and environmental durability testing.
• Ensure calibration, maintenance, and compliance of lab instruments and testing equipment.

Process Improvement & Troubleshooting

• Investigate coating failures such as blistering, peeling, poor adhesion, and corrosion, and implement root cause corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance coating performance, reduce defects, and improve throughput and cost efficiency.
• Optimize chemical usage, reduce waste, and improve environmental sustainability of coating lines.

Equipment & Line Setup

• Support design, commissioning, and optimization of surface treatment lines including tanks, rectifiers, filtration systems, and curing ovens.
• Work with automation teams to prepare material with Tape, Plug and Screw masking automation, integrate robotics for automatic part and rack load/unloading, conveyors, and digital monitoring systems into pre and post coating processes.
• Define preventive maintenance strategies for coating equipment and chemical systems.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with design and materials teams to ensure coating compatibility and selection during product development including Cycle time, Batch decisions, Bottleneck identification etc.
• Support supplier qualification and audits for outsourced coating processes.
• Train production and quality teams on coating standards, inspection methods, and best practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of hands‑on experience in surface treatment and industrial coating processes in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability industries.
• Strong expertise in anodizing, chromate conversion coating (CCC), E-coating, and wet painting processes (primer and topcoat).
• In‑depth knowledge of corrosion mechanisms, surface preparation techniques, and coating adhesion principles.
• Experience with process control tools, root cause analysis (RCA), and quality systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in defense or aerospace manufacturing environments with exposure to NADCAP accreditation and audits.
• Familiarity with military coating systems such as CARC and specialized protective coatings.
• Expertise in coating inspection and testing methods including DFT measurement, adhesion testing, salt spray (ASTM B117), and electrochemical testing.
• Experience in setting up or upgrading surface treatment facilities, including automation and digitalization (Industry 4.0 integration).
• Knowledge of environmental, health, and safety regulations related to hazardous chemicals and coating operations.
• Certification in coatings inspection (e.g., NACE, FROSIO) or equivalent is an added advantage.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Attention to detail and quality‑driven mindset
• Ability to lead cross‑functional technical initiatives
• Effective communication and training capabilities