Paint Engineer

Socket.dev; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401k

Relocation support

Flexible vacation policy

Equity

Job summary

Hadrian, the company building autonomous factories in the U.S., is seeking a Paint Engineer to own the end-to-end industrialization of its coating line in Los Angeles. You will drive prep, blasting, wet and powder coatings through cure, ensuring fire and life-safety compliance and leading vendor selection for turnkey operations.

You will define process windows, write instructions, train a cross-functional team, and hand the line to production post-launch, aiming for robust quality and throughput

Qualifications

• Hands-on aerospace/defense MRO coatings experience: MIL-SPEC/CARC and AMS-spec coatings, corrosion control, surface prep and stripping, masking, first-article inspection, and full documentation/traceability.
• Proven, applied experience with NFPA 33/86/70/30/409 and OSHA 1910 as they apply to paint operations — hazard classification, ventilation and interlock design review, and AHJ coordination and permitting.
• Track record writing equipment specifications, managing vendor selection, and running factory/customer acceptance programs.
• Experience standing up teams via train-the-trainer, with the ability to operate autonomously across code compliance, equipment engineering, and cross-functional coordination.
• History of building and certifying trainers who went on to independently run the line.

Responsibilities

• Own facility fire and life-safety compliance for the coating line under NFPA standards and OSHA and coordinate AHJ approvals.
• Lead specifications, vendor RFQ/evaluation, and Site/Factory Acceptance Testing for coating, cure, ventilation, and fire-suppression/detection equipment.
• Define process windows, qualify equipment, and write work instructions for prep, blasting, wet paint, powder, cure, and coatings.
• Assemble and train the coating line’s support team and implement a training matrix for operations and maintenance.
• Address yield and throughput issues during maturation and hand the line to production.

Skills

Aerospace coatings

MRO coatings

Coating process knowledge

Documentation/traceability

Tools

Coating equipment

Ventilation systems

HVAC controls

Job description

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

The RoleAs Paint Engineer, you will own the end-to-end industrialization of Hadrian's coating line in Los Angeles — from prep, blasting, wet paint, and powder through cure, specialty coatings, inspection, and buy-off. You are the accountable owner of the facility's fire and life-safety compliance posture, lead equipment specification and vendor selection for the turnkey coating process, and select and train the cross-functional team that will run the line after launch. This role is on-site in Los Angeles throughout specification and design, and full-time on the floor through installation, commissioning, and launch.

What You’ll Do

• Own facility fire and life-safety compliance for the coating line under NFPA 33, 86, 70 (NEC), 30/30B and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.107, .94, .146, and .134, and drive AHJ (fire marshal) coordination, permitting, and fire-protection system acceptance

• Lead functional specification, vendor RFQ/evaluation, and Site/Factory Acceptance Testing for coating, cure, ventilation, and fire-suppression/detection equipment, making build-vs-buy calls with the integrator and OEMs

• Define process windows, qualify equipment, and write and validate work instructions across prep, blasting, wet paint, powder, cure, and specialty coating steps

• Select and stand up the coating line's support team, define the operator training and certification matrix, and execute train-the-trainer so production and maintenance fully own the line post-launch

• Solve yield and throughput issues during process maturation and formally hand the line to production

What We're Looking For

• Hands-on aerospace/defense MRO coatings experience: MIL-SPEC/CARC and AMS-spec coatings, corrosion control, surface prep and stripping, masking, first-article inspection, and full documentation/traceability

• Proven, applied experience with NFPA 33/86/70/30/409 and OSHA 1910 as they apply to paint operations — hazard classification, ventilation and interlock design review, and AHJ coordination and permitting

• Track record writing equipment specifications, managing vendor selection, and running factory/customer acceptance programs

• Experience standing up teams via train-the-trainer, with the ability to operate autonomously across code compliance, equipment engineering, and cross-functional coordination

• Comfort working on the shop floor daily alongside equipment engineering, commissioning, troubleshooting, and inspection activities

What Will Set You Apart

• Experience launching a paint, powder, or mixed-coatings line from facility bring-up through steady-state production in a defense, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing environment

• NADCAP and/or AS9100 quality-system exposure

• PLC/controls fluency sufficient to review interlock and SCADA logic directly with controls engineers

• Direct experience negotiating fire-protection or insurance-carrier acceptance requirements with an AHJ

• History of building and certifying trainers who went on to independently run the line

Benefits for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you 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 the ITAR here.

Use of AI in hiring

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.