Additive Manufacturing Manager

USA Tech Recruit; Washington (District of Columbia, MD); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

USA Tech Recruit is seeking an Additive Manufacturing Manager for a pioneering hard-tech company near BWI, responsible for standing up an in-house metal AM lab and translating AI-designed heat exchangers into manufacturable parts.

The role requires five years of hands-on L-PBF experience, DfAM expertise, and the ability to manage external partners, QA, post-processing, and continuous improvement in a lean production environment.

Qualifications

• Five years of hands-on metal L-PBF experience, preferably with large-format multi-laser systems (≥400 mm build envelope).
• Experience establishing or commissioning a metal AM workshop or production cell with safety procedures.
• DfAM expertise to optimize complex metal components for printable manufacturability.
• Post-processing and QA experience including depowdering, heat treatment, CT inspection, leak/pressure testing, NCRs.
• Experience managing contract manufacturers or service bureaus and enforcing specs.
• Technical leadership experience supervising technicians in a lean environment.
• Experience in hard-tech or high-consequence sectors (aerospace/defense/energy/compute).

Responsibilities

• Establish and operate the in-house metal AM lab near BWI, oversee equipment and safety.
• Own DfAM and work with engineers to optimize heat exchangers for printing.
• Manage external manufacturing partners and review build packages.
• Oversee post-processing/workflow including depowdering, stress relief, CT scanning.
• Drive improvements in print time, yield, cost and production efficiency.
• Mentor technicians and plan future scale-up of production capacity.
• Support international manufacturing collaboration with trips.

Skills

L-PBF experience

Lab setup & commissioning

DfAM expertise

Post-processing QC

External manufacturing oversight

Technical leadership

Industrial background

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Materials/Manufacturing Eng

Hard-tech manufacturing background

Job description

A pioneering hard-tech company is developing advanced thermal management solutions for AI data centres, defence and heavy industry. Its proprietary AI platform designs high-performance heat exchangers that push beyond the limits of conventional engineering and manufacturing. With a pilot project involving a major OEM progressing towards deployment in a leading hyperscale data centre, the business is building out its manufacturing capabilities as it prepares for its next stage of growth.

Additive Manufacturing Manager with at least five years of hands-on metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF/LPBF) experience to establish and lead its in-house additive manufacturing operation. This is a highly technical, hands-on role within a small, fast-growing hard-tech team, offering ownership of a cutting-edge, large-format metal 3D printer and responsibility for translating AI-designed heat exchangers into high-quality, manufacturable components.

You will establish the lab from the ground up, act as the internal Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) expert, oversee post-processing and quality assurance, and manage the technical relationship with external manufacturing partners. The ideal candidate has built or commissioned a metal additive manufacturing cell, understands the practical challenges of printing complex metal components, and can balance print quality, yield, cost and production time.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish and operate the in-house metal additive manufacturing lab: Lead equipment selection, procurement, installation and commissioning of a large-format L-PBF printer at a facility near BWI. Develop operating procedures and safety protocols, establish powder handling and storage processes, and oversee a lab technician responsible for powder management and daily machine operations.
• Own Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM): Work closely with thermal and mechanical engineers to optimise complex, thin-walled heat exchangers with intricate internal channels for successful printing. Identify design and build risks early, recommend appropriate orientations and parameter changes, and improve printability, yield, weight, cycle time and cost.
• Manage external manufacturing partners: Serve as the technical point of contact for overseas manufacturers and service bureaus. Review and approve build packages, printing parameters and manufacturing approaches, challenge technical assumptions, and ensure all outsourced builds meet defined specifications and quality standards.
• Oversee post-processing and quality assurance: Manage the complete post-print workflow, including depowdering, support removal, stress relief, heat treatment, CT scanning, leak testing and pressure testing. Investigate non-conformances, identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Improve manufacturing performance: Drive continuous improvements in print time, production yield, quality and unit economics. Use practical manufacturing experience and data to identify process bottlenecks and reduce waste.
• Develop production capability: Manage and mentor technical personnel, support future manufacturing scale-up, and contribute to the design of the company's longer-term production facility.
• Support international manufacturing collaboration: Participate in approximately one to two international trips annually to visit manufacturing partners and oversee technical and quality requirements.

Key Qualifications:

• Hands-on metal L-PBF experience: At least five years of practical experience in metal laser powder bed fusion, ideally involving large-format, multi-laser machines with build envelopes of 400 mm or greater.
• Manufacturing cell setup and commissioning: Demonstrated experience establishing or commissioning a metal additive manufacturing workshop or production cell, including equipment installation, powder handling, inert gas systems, operational procedures and safety protocols.
• DfAM expertise: Practical experience adapting designs for additive manufacturing, particularly complex metal components. Able to identify build risks and optimise geometry, orientation, support strategy and process parameters to improve manufacturability and production outcomes.
• Post-processing and quality control: Familiarity with metal AM post-processing and inspection, including internal depowdering, stress relief, heat treatment, CT inspection, leak and pressure testing, and non-conformance reporting (NCRs).
• External manufacturing oversight: Experience managing contract manufacturers or service bureaus, reviewing technical build documentation, enforcing specifications and resolving manufacturing quality issues.
• Technical leadership: Experience supervising technicians or progressing from a hands-on technical role into manufacturing leadership. Comfortable taking ownership of equipment, processes and day-to-day lab operations in a lean environment.
• Relevant industry background: Experience in a hard-tech startup or high-consequence metal manufacturing environment, such as aerospace, defence, energy, computing, transportation or other advanced industrial applications.
• Education: A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• On-site availability: Able to work on-site two to three days per week at the lab near BWI. Candidates based within commuting distance of Philadelphia through Arlington, Virginia, or those willing to relocate, are encouraged to apply.
• International travel and flexibility: Willing to travel internationally approximately one to two times per year and accommodate occasional early-morning or late-evening calls with overseas manufacturing partners.

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