Metal LPBF AM Technician - Advanced Aerospace Lab

Frontdoor Defense; Centennial (CO); Hybrid; USD 44,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO policy

Equity consideration

Job summary

Front Door Defense is seeking an Additive Manufacturing Technician (Metal LPBF) to lead hands-on operation and optimization in Centennial, CO. You will own floor-level AM processes, manage powder flow, and help improve equipment layout and safety.

The role blends direct machine work with engineering collaboration to iterate on parts and processes. Expect a demanding R&D environment, strong emphasis on documentation, and active involvement in post-processing, inspection, and lab organization.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience operating metal laser powder bed fusion machines.
• Experience with powder handling, sieving, depowdering and PPE discipline.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, R&D environment with evolving procedures.
• Strong documentation and communication with engineers.

Responsibilities

• Operate metal LPBF machines end to end, including loading, build setup, and depowdering.
• Maintain powder processing with sieving, recovery, and lot management focusing on safety.
• Run post-processing: cutting from plates, support removal, heat treatment, finishing.
• Measure parts with calipers, micrometers, and optical microscopes against drawings.
• Clean, maintain, troubleshoot machines, and liaise with vendors as needed.
• Manage lab layout, tooling, and work instructions.

Skills

LPBF operation

Powder handling

Metrology tools

Documentation

Troubleshooting

Mechanical instinct

Engineering communication

Tools

Magics

3DXpert

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Job description

Additive Manufacturing Technician (Metal LPBF)

Lead setup and optimization of the metal LPBF lab workflow for high-quality parts

Location: Centennial, Colorado

Compensation: $32 - 43 USD / hour

About The Role

Boom Metal Am Technician

Boom is building Superpower, a first-of-its-kind industrial gas turbine for behind-the-grid energy generation, and Symphony, the engine that will return supersonic flight to passengers. These engines are at the forefront of design and manufacturing technology, and additive manufacturing is how we make and iterate on critical engine components faster than any supply chain could. We're standing up the metal AM lab right now - the most advanced LPBF machines in existence, printing some of the hardest alloys in aerospace - and we need the technician who will own its floor.

Not just a machine operator

At an established AM shop, a technician runs qualified builds on qualified machines: load the plate, press start, depowder, repeat. The process is frozen and the interesting decisions were made before you arrived. This is not that job.

You'll run the builds, but you'll also help decide where the equipment goes, what tools we buy, how powder moves through the room, and how we keep it all safe and clean. When a build misbehaves, you're the one who catches it, documents it, and works with engineering on the fix. When the part comes off the machine, you're the one who cuts it from the plate, removes the supports, runs the heat treat, and puts calipers on it. Your hands and your eyes are the feedback loop that makes the whole process better.

What you'll do

• Operate metal LPBF machines end to end: powder loading, plate leveling, build setup, monitoring, machine flips, and depowdering
• Maintain a high standard for powder processing: sieving, recovery, reuse tracking, lot management, PPE, and environmental controls, with a relentless focus on safety
• Run the post-processing chain: cutting parts from build plates (wire EDM), support removal, heat treatment, hand finishing, and tumbling
• Measure and verify parts with metrology tools - calipers, micrometers, optical microscopes - against engineering drawings
• Perform routine cleaning, preventive maintenance, and first-line troubleshooting on the machines - and work issues directly with vendors when needed
• Be the eyes on every build: catch anomalies early, document what you see, and close the feedback loop with engineering
• Manage consumables and powder inventory with full traceability
• Run the wax, ceramic, and polymer printing and investment casting processes in The Pit (our Overture landing-gear test site turned AM/casting R&D lab)
• Help build out and organize the lab itself: layout, tooling, workflow, and the work instructions the team will run on

This job is demanding

The process you need won't always exist yet - you'll help define it. Some alloys we're targeting are notoriously difficult to print and the machines are at the frontier of what the industry has qualified. That means your safety discipline, cleanliness, and documentation have to be absolute. If a build looks off, we need to know what you see, what you think, and what to do more than we need it to look finished.

You probably have

• Hands-on experience operating metal laser powder bed fusion machines (EOS, Nikon SLM, Aconity3D, Renishaw, Velo3D, 3D Systems, or similar). Large format a plus
• Direct experience with powder handling, sieving, depowdering, and the PPE and cleanliness discipline metal powder demands
• A mechanical instinct - you've troubleshot and maintained finicky industrial equipment, not just operated it
• Experience with part post-processing: build plate removal, support removal, hand finishing, or heat treatment
• Working proficiency with metrology tools and engineering drawings; GD&T familiarity a plus
• Solid documentation habits and the ability to communicate clearly with engineers about what you're seeing
• Comfort in a fast-paced, ambiguous R&D environment where the procedure is still being written

It would be great if you have

• Experience with high-temperature nickel superalloys or other difficult-to-print materials
• Wire EDM, CNC machining, HIP, or electropolishing experience or knowledge
• Experience with non-metal AM (SLA, material extrusion, MJP) or investment casting, wax, and ceramic printing
• Basic CAD/CAM or build-prep software exposure (Magics, 3DXpert, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar)
• Experience helping stand up or organize a new lab or production area
• A background in aerospace, medical, or another regulated manufacturing environment (AS9100/ISO)

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 75 lbs and handle sensitive components with care
• Hands-on shop floor work, requiring standing for extended periods
• Ability to wear required PPE, including PAPR/respirators, for powder operations
• Exposure to high-temperature components, compressed gases, and metal powders (with appropriate controls)

Why Boom

Superpower is the first industrial turbine purpose-built for AI data center loads, targeting a market growing faster than grid infrastructure can serve it - and its core is shared with Symphony, the engine that returns supersonic flight to passengers. You'll be one of the first technicians on Boom's metal AM line. The machines you learn inside and out, the workflow you help design, and the anomalies you catch will directly shape how fast we iterate on engine hardware. There is no equivalent seat at an established shop, where the line already exists and the decisions are already made.

If building the metal AM lab for the hardest alloys in the industry - on a program that matters - sounds like the job you've been waiting for, apply.

What is it REALLY like to work at Boom? Find out here.

Compensation

The Base Rate for this position is $32 - $43 per hour. Actual rate will vary based on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Boom's total rewards package for employees. Other rewards may include long term incentives/equity, a flexible PTO policy, and many other progressive benefits. There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.

This position is open across multiple levels. Final leveling will be determined based on the candidate's experience, skills, and overall qualifications during the interview process.

ITAR Requirement

To conform to U.S. Government aerospace technology export regulations (ITAR and EAR), applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., 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 ITAR here.

Boom is an equal opportunity employer, including for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. We are building a culture of merit and excellence.

Want to build a faster future? Come join Boom.