Lead NDE Engineer (UT Level III)

Approach Venture LLC; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach Venture LLC in Long Beach, CA seeks a Lead NDE Engineer (UT Level III) to build the ultrasonic inspection program for additively manufactured flight hardware. You will own UT methods, write procedures, and stand up an immersion scanning cell.

This is the first dedicated NDE hire to shape strategy, train staff, and ensure fracture-critical parts meet aerospace standards. You will collaborate with design and process engineers and support AS9100/Nadcap readiness.

Qualifications

• ASNT NDT Level III in UT, or qualification history supporting NAS 410/SNT-TC-1A Level 3 on hire.
• 8+ years of NDE experience in aerospace or related safety-critical fields.
• Hands-on phased array experience with focal law design and calibration block design.
• Proficiency with phased array platforms such as Evident, Zetec, Eddyfi/M2M, AOS or similar.
• Ability to write and defend procedures to relevant standards (AMS-STD-2154, ASTM E2700/E1417/E1742) and navigate audits.
• Working knowledge of NASA-STD-5009 and MIL-HDBK-1823.
• Strong fracture mechanics background to negotiate flaw size requirements with stress engineers.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR 120.62).

Responsibilities

• Serve as the UT method authority, owning the written practice, phased array and UT procedures.
• Train, qualify, certify and audit Level I and II inspectors as the team grows.
• Develop phased array techniques for additively deposited titanium.
• Characterize velocity and attenuation across build orientations and validate results.
• Partner with design and process engineering on part geometry and deposition paths.
• Set and defend NDE-based initial flaw sizes for fracture control with structures team.
• Plan and run POD studies on representative hardware for government reviews.
• Specify and qualify an in-house ultrasonic immersion system and manipulator integration.
• Provide technical oversight of outsourced NDT methods and inspection suppliers.
• Own the NDE content of qualification plans and first article inspection packages.
• Support AS9100 compliance and Nadcap NDT accreditation.

Skills

UT Level III

Phased array inspection

Procedure writing

NDE leadership

Audit readiness

Education

ASNT NDT Level III or NAS 410 / SNT-TC-1A eligibility

Tools

Evident

Zetec

Eddyfi/M2M

AOS

CIVA

Job description

Lead NDE Engineer (UT Level III) - Build the Ultrasonic Inspection Program for Additive Flight Hardware

Long Beach, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

An early-stage aerospace manufacturer is hiring its first dedicated nondestructive evaluation engineer to bring ultrasonic inspection in-house. The company produces large metal additive components for fatigue-critical and damage-tolerant applications, including titanium pressure vessels, where traditional inspection vendors trained on forged and cast material often lack experience with the defect types and grain structures unique to deposited metal.

As the UT method Level III, you will set inspection strategy, write and defend procedures, stand up an immersion scanning cell, and sign off on fracture-critical flight hardware. You will also influence part design and deposition paths so inspectability is built in from the start, and you will grow the NDE team as production scales.

About Us

We are a venture-backed advanced manufacturing company in the Los Angeles area building large-format metal additive production for aerospace, space and defense programs. Our process deposits high-performance alloys at high rates to deliver structural and pressure-containing hardware faster than conventional forging and machining supply chains. The team is small, technical and quality-driven, and we are scaling toward qualified flight hardware for government and commercial customers.

Job Duties

• Serve as the UT method authority, owning the written practice, phased array and conventional UT procedures, and technique sheets
• Train, qualify, certify and audit Level I and Level II inspectors as the team grows
• Develop phased array techniques for additively deposited titanium, including focal law design, probe and wedge selection, and reference standard design
• Characterize velocity and attenuation across build orientations and validate TFM/FMC results against destructive sectioning
• Partner with design and process engineering on part geometry and deposition paths so components are inspectable before production begins
• Work with structures and materials engineering to set and defend NDE-based initial flaw sizes for fracture control
• Plan and run probability of detection studies on representative hardware that will hold up to government customer review
• Specify, commission and qualify an in-house ultrasonic immersion system, including tank, phased array instrumentation and manipulator integration
• Provide technical oversight of outsourced NDT methods and inspection suppliers
• Own the NDE content of qualification plans, first article inspection packages and proposals
• Support AS9100 compliance and lead preparation for Nadcap NDT accreditation

Qualifications

• ASNT NDT Level III in UT, or a qualification and examination history that supports certification to NAS 410 or SNT-TC-1A Level 3 upon hire
• 8+ years of NDE experience in aerospace, pressure vessels, nuclear or another field where a missed indication carries safety-critical consequencesli>
• Hands-on phased array experience, including focal law and calibration block design, DAC/TCG, encoded scanning and analysis of your own data
• Proficiency with phased array platforms such as Evident, Zetec, Eddyfi/M2M, AOS or similar
• Track record writing procedures to specification (AMS-STD-2154, ASTM E2700, ASTM E1417, ASTM E1742) and defending them in audits
• Working knowledge of NASA-STD-5009 and MIL-HDBK-1823
• Enough fracture mechanics background to negotiate flaw size requirements with stress engineers
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR 120.62)

Preferred Experience

• Production use of TFM/FMC and plane wave imaging
• Immersion UT with automated or robotic scanning and manipulator integration
• NDE of additively manufactured metals, including inspection through as-built surfaces
• Inspection of titanium and aluminum welds made by TIG, plasma arc, laser or electron beam processes
• Designing POD studies to MIL-HDBK-1823A or ASTM E3023
• Level I or higher in RT, PT or eddy current array
• Interest in probe design and inspection research beyond procedure writing
• Familiarity with AIAA S-080 metallic pressure vessel requirements or acceptance criteria for wire-arc deposited material
• Nadcap NDT and AS9100 audit experience
• CIVA or similar ultrasonic simulation tools
• Authored the NDE section of a qualification plan reviewed by a government customer

Why Join Us

• First dedicated NDE hire with a mandate to build the function and lead the team
• Direct influence on design, process and fracture control decisions, not only downstream inspection
• Build an immersion inspection cell and NDE program from the ground up
• Work on flight-critical hardware for aerospace, space and defense customers
• Meaningful early-stage equity in a small, fast-moving team
• Hands-on work with hardware every day

Compensation Details

$135,000 - $170,000 + equity

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons as defined by 22 CFR 120.62.