Chief Materials and Processes Engineer

Ursa Major; Berthoud (CO); On-site; USD 106,000 - 137,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Paid parental and adoptive leave

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Tax-advantage accounts (HSA/FSA)

Short and long-term disability

Life, AD&D insurance

Voluntary life insurance

Emergency medical transport

EAP program

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Ursa Major is seeking a Part-Time Chief Materials and Processes Engineer to lead materials strategy across propulsion programs. You will own material design curves, oversee data-driven qualification efforts, and guide testing and validation with a focus on high-impact, strategic decisions rather than day-to-day tasks.

The role emphasizes technical leadership in materials and processes, with responsibilities spanning standards, failure investigations, and liaison with analysis and design teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in a relevant engineering field and 15+ years aerospace materials experience.
• Hands-on expertise with aerospace metals and processes including additve manufacturing, welding, brazing, and heat treatment.
• Experience establishing material allowables and S-N curves for aerospace applications.
• Leadership in failure analysis and durable corrective actions.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and standards (AS9100, NADCAP, AMS, AWS, MMPDS).

Responsibilities

• Serve as the ultimate materials and processes SME for Ursa Major.
• Own and pioneer material design curves and data frameworks enabling structural analysis and certification.
• Architect and oversee process development for material curves.
• Define and approve enterprise-wide materials standards and policies including new materials and joining methods.
• Lead or oversee failure investigations and implement corrective actions.
• Mentor engineers in data-based decision making and materials testing.

Skills

Material curves

Aerospace materials

Failure analysis

Statistical design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science & Engineering

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

Additive manufacturing

Welding

Brazing

Heat treatment

Job description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here.

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands.

Chief Materials and Processes Engineer Part Time

As a Part Time Chief Materials and Processes Engineer you are the company wide authority on materials and processes. You shape how Ursa Major develops qualifies material property design curves across all propulsion programs. You will pioneer our approach to material curve maturation including tensile, fatigue, and fracture behavior design allowables. You will define and refine core processes and anchor our methods in reality through test data and close collaboration with analysis and design teams. You will set the bar for technical rigor mentor the broader team and define how materials and processes are practiced at Ursa Major.

This is a part-time role with a focus on high impact technical leadership frameworks and decision making not day to day execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the ultimate materials and processes subject matter expert for Ursa Major and guide material selection processing performance and risk for flight-critical propulsion hardware.


• Own and pioneer Ursa Major’s material design curve system, including tensile, fatigue, and fracture behavior design allowables, and statistically sound material data frameworks that enable structural and thermal analysis and certification.


• Architect and oversee process development for generating validating and maintaining material curves and allowables grounded in test data and production realities.


• Define and approve enterprise-level materials and processes standards specifications and policies including those for new materials additive processes and joining methods.


• Lead or oversee high-impact failure investigations and root-cause analyses and ensure permanent corrective actions and data feedback into allowables and design criteria.


• Partner with analysis design manufacturing and test teams to ensure material data assumptions and models are consistent and aligned with business and safety goals.


• Mentor and coach senior staff and junior engineers in materials and processes fundamentals data-based decision making and best practices for materials testing allowables and process control.


• Provide strategic input on the long-term materials and processes technology roadmap with emphasis on test strategies data generation and qualification and certification approaches for new materials and processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Materials Science and Engineering Metallurgy Aerospace Engineering Mechanical Engineering or related discipline and 15 plus years of progressive experience in aerospace materials and processes or 12 plus years with an advanced degree.


• Deep hands on expertise with aerospace metallics and advanced processes such as additive manufacturing welding brazing and heat treatment including qualification and production deployment.


• Proven experience establishing material allowables S N curves fatigue behavior and statistically based design values for aerospace applications.


• Demonstrated leadership in failure analysis root cause investigations and implementation of durable corrective actions.


• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and standards such as AS9100 NADCAP ASTM AMS AWS and MMPDS and their application to materials allowables and special processes.


• Track record of influencing technical direction across programs and mentoring engineers at multiple levels.

Preferred Experience

• Experience defining and institutionalizing company wide frameworks for material curve maturation and allowables including additive metals.


• Participation in or leadership of standards bodies industry working groups or major customer or regulatory engagements related to materials and processes.


• Experience building or upgrading materials labs and test and characterization capabilities to support allowables and fatigue data generation.

This is a part-time position. Schedule and engagement model are flexible and will be tailored to focus on high leverage technical leadership frameworks and decision making.

Classification: Part-time Non-Exempt

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $77.00 - $99.66/hour determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we _can’t_quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement


• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave


• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance


• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)


• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D


• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport


• EAP Program


• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).

Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.

We’re an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.