Automation & Robotics System Engineer, Additive Manufacturing Hardware

Front Door Defense; Torrance, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, life

Relocation assistance

Flexible vacation

Equity

Job summary

Hadrian is hiring an Automation & Robotics System Engineer to lead design and deployment of AM cell automation in Torrance. You will own safety architecture, material handling, and integration interfaces while coordinating with the machine-controls data team. The role requires on-site work and travel up to 25%.

Requirements include a Robotics/Mechatronics degree and 4+ years in production automation, with PLC, safety, and FAT/SAT experience. ITAR and US-person status are mandatory.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 4+ years designing, deploying automation in production.
• Hands-on experience with robotics, material handling, and machine tending.
• Competent in risk assessment and ISO safety standards.
• Experience commissioning automation and structured acceptance testing.
• Familiar with factory integration interfaces and controls.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and commission AM cell automation for powder handling and post-processing.
• Own safety architecture, guarding, and emergency stop logic per aerospace requirements.
• Engineer powder safety, inert gas handling, and grounding in coordination with EHS.
• Define automation interfaces and ensure representation in OPUS.
• Collaborate with Hadrian Automation on interfaces and roadmaps.
• Execute FAT/SAT and set performance acceptance criteria.
• Own reliability programs and spares strategy for automation.
• Identify bottlenecks to improve throughput and utilization.
• Document solutions for redeployment to other factories.

Skills

Industrial robotics

Material handling systems

Machine safety

PLC programming

Automation integration

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's in Robotics/Mechatronics

Tools

OPUS

SCADA

Job description

Automation & Robotics System Engineer, Additive Manufacturing

Lead design and deployment of AM cell automation across Hadrian factories

Location: Torrance, California

Compensation: $135,000 - 220,000 USD / year

About The Role

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we're building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you're ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you're exactly who we're looking for.

What You'll Do

• Cell Automation Design and Commissioning: Design, deploy, and commission automation for AM cell workflows — powder handling and transport, build plate and build unit exchange, depowdering, part removal, and downstream logistics into post-processing.

• Cell Safety Architecture: Own the safety architecture for AM cell automation — risk assessment, guarding, presence sensing, emergency stop and interlock logic — and validate it against aerospace and defense production requirements. Coordinate with the Machine Controls & Data Integration Engineer so cell safety state is visible to the machine and platform layer.

• Powder and Combustible Dust Safety: Engineer automation around powder safely — combustible dust controls per NFPA 484, inert gas handling, and grounding and bonding practice — in coordination with site EHS and the Materials and Process team.

• Automation Interface Requirements: Define automation interface requirements — mechanical, electrical, and data — and work with the Machine Controls & Data Integration Engineer so cell automation is represented in OPUS.

• Automation Team Partnership: Partner with the Hadrian Automation team on interfaces, handoffs, and the joint AM cell automation roadmap, integrating proven vendor equipment in preference to custom builds wherever it fits.

• Acceptance Testing: Execute Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT) for automation equipment, and define performance acceptance criteria tied to cycle time, throughput, and reliability rather than function alone.

• Reliability and Maintenance: Own reliability and maintenance programs for automation systems — preventive maintenance schedules, spares strategy, and root cause analysis driven to verified closure.

• Throughput and Bottleneck Elimination: Identify and eliminate automation bottlenecks to improve build throughput, changeover time, and machine utilization, using cycle time and utilization data from the manufacturing data infrastructure.

• Design for Redeployment: Document and standardize cell automation so solutions transfer to additional Hadrian factories without being re-engineered from scratch.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field.

• 4+ years designing, deploying, and sustaining automation solutions in production manufacturing environments.

• Hands‑on experience with industrial robotics, material handling systems, and machine tending automation, including PLC-level familiarity with the cells you deploy.

• Demonstrated competency in machine safety: risk assessment and functional safety design per ISO 12100 and ISO 13849 or equivalent, and hands‑on safety interlock implementation and validation.

• Experience commissioning automation equipment and executing structured acceptance testing against defined performance criteria.

• Familiarity with machine integration and control interfaces in a factory automation context.

• Ability to work on site full time in Torrance, California, and to travel to Hadrian deployment sites, integrators, and OEM facilities — up to 25%.

• Must be a U.S. person for ITAR purposes — a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

What Will Set You Apart

• Experience deploying automation in metal additive manufacturing or powder metallurgy environments.

• Experience with combustible dust and inert atmosphere handling, including NFPA 484 practice.

• Background in aerospace or defense production with safety-critical automation requirements.

• Familiarity with collaborative robotics and human-robot interaction safety standards (ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066).

• Experience standing up the same automation solution at more than one site or factory.

Benefits for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Use of AI in Hiring

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

Consideration of Criminal History

Hadrian will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all applicable laws. We do not ask about criminal history on our application, and we do not consider criminal history before making a conditional offer of employment.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

Hadrian does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental status, physical disability or any other legally protected status. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.