On-Site Advanced Composites Materials Engineer – Equity

Approach Venture; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

401(k) with employer matching

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid vacation, sick time, and company‑

Company holidays

Job summary

Approach Venture in Hawthorne, California, is seeking a Materials & Process Engineer for advanced composites. You will develop and optimize materials, connect chemistry to performance, run characterization and testing, and drive scale-up from pilot to production in a hands-on environment.

You will collaborate across manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to implement robust processes and documentation, with growth into technical leadership as programs expand.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field
• 3 years of relevant industry experience
• Strong understanding of composite materials and process-structure-property relationships
• Hands‑on experience with fiber‑reinforced composites or polymer‑based materials
• Experience with material characterization techniques such as TGA, TMA, DMA, DSC, or rheology
• Experience with mechanical coupon testing or material qualification
• Experience with failure analysis and root cause investigation
• Must meet U.S. Person requirements under export control regulations
• On-site work in Hawthorne five days per week

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize composite materials and manufacturing processes
• Connect material chemistry, processing conditions, and final part performance
• Run and interpret material characterization including TGA, TMA, DMA, DSC, rheology, and related methods
• Design and execute mechanical testing and process development campaigns
• Lead failure analysis and root cause investigations
• Translate testing results into manufacturing process improvements
• Scale processes from development to production
• Develop SOPs, test procedures, material specifications, and process documentation
• Work closely with manufacturing, quality, mechanical engineering, and supply chain
• Partner with suppliers to source, evaluate, and qualify new materials

Skills

Composite materials expertise

Process development

Problem solving

Hands-on testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science or related

Tools

Material characterization tools (TGA)

Material characterization tools (TMA)

Material characterization tools (DMA)

Material characterization tools (DSC)

Job description

Approach Venture in Hawthorne, California, is seeking a Materials & Process Engineer for advanced composites. You will develop and optimize materials, connect chemistry to performance, run characterization and testing, and drive scale-up from pilot to production in a hands-on environment.

You will collaborate across manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to implement robust processes and documentation, with growth into technical leadership as programs expand.