Materials & Failure Analysis Technician

Karman Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Karman Industries, a Torrance-based thermal technology company, seeks a Materials & Failure Analysis Technician to support materials testing, metallography, and investigations. You will prepare samples, perform metallography, and assist with root-cause analyses for metallic and polymeric materials, supporting product development and quality efforts.

The role requires laboratory experience, familiarity with ASTM standards, and the ability to document findings and work safely in an industrial

Qualifications

• Experience in a laboratory environment handling chemicals and lab equipment.
• Preparation of metallic and polymeric specimens for metallographic examination.
• Familiarity with ASTM metallography standards (E3, E407, E384, E18, E112) or equivalent.
• Experience using microscopes, imaging systems, and general lab equipment.
• Ability to document observations and generate technical reports.
• Commitment to lab safety and quality practices.

Responsibilities

• Operate laboratory equipment to support material characterization and failure analysis.
• Prepare metallographic specimens (sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, etching).
• Support root-cause investigations across metallic, polymeric, electrical materials and components.
• Assist engineers with mechanical testing and data collection.
• Support incoming material inspections, supplier investigations, and field failure investigations.
• Maintain equipment, calibration, and lab infrastructure; ensure safety and organization.

Skills

Lab experience

Metallography

ASTM standards

Microscopy

Documentation

Safety

Education

Associate degree or technical certification in Materials Science/Engineering Technology

Tools

Optical microscopes

Hardness testers

Image analysis software

Job description

Karman Industries

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company building the backbone for giga-scale AI infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and GE, Karman is moving beyond legacy cooling with the launch of the HPU (Heat Processing Unit) — a new category of thermal architecture designed for the 100kW+ rack era.

The HPU shrinks the exterior mechanical yard by up to 80% while reducing peak energy consumption by 10%+. Unlike traditional systems, the Karman HPU provides zero-water (WUE 0) cooling that ensures high-TDP GPUs and HBM4 memory stay at optimal thermal setpoints without throttling.

Founded in 2024, we’re a fast-growing team of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of humanity. We design, build, and test real hardware, and we lead with ownership: you’ll own your work from concept to hardware and help shape how we scale. Our values are Ownership, Performance Excellence, Radical Transparency, and Customer-Centricity.

Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Materials & Failure Analysis Technician

The Materials & Failure Analysis Technician will support materials testing, characterization, metallography, and root-cause investigations involving metallic and polymeric materials. This role is responsible for specimen preparation, metallographic examination, laboratory testing, and documentation to support product development, manufacturing, quality, and field investigations.

Key Responsibilities

• Operate laboratory equipment and test systems (Training on specific equipment will be provided) to support material characterization, and failure analysis.
• Perform metallographic specimen preparation including sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, etching of metallic and non-metallic materials.
• Support root-cause investigations and qualification involving metallic, polymeric, electrical, and electronic materials and components, including castings, forgings, weldments, brazed joints, thermoplastics, thermosets, adhesives, potting compounds, and motor insulation systems.
• Assist engineers with mechanical testing, materials characterization, dimensional inspections, photo-documentation, and data collection activities, and other laboratory evaluations as required.
• Support incoming material inspections, supplier investigations, manufacturing non-conformance evaluations, and field failure investigations.
• Assist with maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of laboratory equipment, test methods, and infrastructure.
• Maintain laboratory organization, consumables, safety practices, standard operating procedures, and materials control systems.

Basic Requirements

• Experience working in a laboratory environment, including safe handling of chemicals, consumables, and laboratory equipment.
• Practical experience preparing metallic and polymeric specimens for metallographic examination through sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing, etching.
• Familiarity with ASTM metallography and hardness standards (E3, E407, E384, E18, E112), or similar lab quality practices
• Experience using optical microscopes, digital imaging systems, image analysis software, hardness testers, and general laboratory equipment.
• Ability to accurately document observations, maintain test records, and generate technical reports.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to laboratory safety and quality practices.
• Ability to lift weights under 50lbs, safely work around industrial laboratory infrastructure, including wet saws, mechanical test frames, ultrasonic cleaners, and chemical fume hoods.

Preferred Requirements

• Associate degree, technical certification, or equivalent experience in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in metallography, materials characterization, laboratory testing, or failure analysis.
• Working knowledge of metallographic preparation techniques, chemical etchants, microscopy, and common materials characterization methods.
• Experience using hand tools, sample preparation equipment, and laboratory instrumentation.
• Experience supporting aerospace, energy, automotive, semiconductor, industrial equipment, or advanced manufacturing programs.

Role level to be determined during interview process

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Direct applicants only — we are not working with outside recruiters or agencies for this role.

#LI-DNI