Metal AM Researcher

University of Dayton Research Institute; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) seeks an engineer to manage and perform metal additive manufacturing (AM) research at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. You will develop a standardized, performance-based qualification framework for AM components, perform reverse engineering, structural analysis, prototyping and testing, and document results with strong technical writing.

Ideal candidates have a Bachelor's in engineering or materials science, 3+ years in metal AM, and experience with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or materials science from an accredited university.
• At least 3 years of experience in metal additive manufacturing.
• Experience operating or designing laser-based manufacturing equipment.
• Experience with mechanical testing and materials characterization.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to work with others and drive projects.
• U.S. citizenship required due to federal contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and perform metal AM research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
• Develop, document, and validate a standardized qualification framework for AM components.
• Conduct reverse engineering, structural analysis, prototyping, testing and qualification.
• Maintain strong technical data management and technical writing.
• Collaborate with AFRL engineers/scientists to meet contract requirements.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Critical thinking

Technical writing

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or materials science

Master's degree in related field

PhD in related field

Tools

Laser-based manufacturing equipment

Job description

Position Summary

Shape the future of aerospace defense by leading cutting‑edge metal additive manufacturing research at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). UDRI is a national leader in scientific and engineering research, serving government, industry and nonprofit customers. The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) is seeking a highly motivated and highly talented engineer to manage and perform metal additive manufacturing (AM) research at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Work will include development, documentation, and validation of a standardized, performance‑based qualification framework for AM components, reverse engineering, structural analysis, part prototyping, testing and qualification of components produced using metal additive manufacturing. In addition to these duties, strong technical data management and technical writing skills will be required. This position will lead and work with engineers/scientists at AFRL.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in engineering or materials science from an accredited University.
• 3 years of experience in metal additive manufacturing or closely related field.
• Experience operating or designing laser‑based manufacturing equipment.
• Firsthand experience with mechanical testing and materials characterization.
• Strong written and verbal communication proficiency.
• Ability to work well with others, think critically and drive projects to completion with little supervision.
• Due to the requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a U.S. citizen.

R3 Qualifications

• Must meet all R2 minimum qualifications.
• Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of directly related experience or master’s degree and 7 years of directly related experience or PhD and 6 years of directly related experience.
• Leadership or technical mentoring experience, ability to work in a team environment, and the ability to provide technical leadership for supporting personnel and collaborators.

Preferred Qualifications

• A graduate degree in mechanical engineering or materials science from an accredited university.
• Thorough understanding of metal AM industrial landscape, capabilities and limitations.
• Familiarity with Airworthiness standards and related qualification requirements.
• Demonstrated experience both specifying mechanical testing and material characterization methods and interpreting results.
• Experience with metallurgical characterization for AM materials.
• Experience correlating the effects of LPBF processing parameters to resulting metallurgy.
• Understanding of data acquisition and analysis concepts.
• Ability to perform structural analysis using CAD tools.
• Understanding of metal heat treatment processes and practices.
• Experience performing design of experiments (DOE's) and statistical analysis.
• Understanding of laser/material interaction.
• Demonstrated technical writing ability.

Closing Statement

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the dignity of every human being. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity in all of its forms, achieve fair outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. The University is committed to policies of affirmative action designed to increase the employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973.