We are seeking a hands-on Process Engineer to take technical ownership of aerospace electroplating and metal-finishing processes. This is a high-impact opportunity for an engineer or experienced plating process specialist who understands what happens at the tank, on the production floor and within a controlled aerospace process plan. Asuccessful candidate will be comfortable working with drawings and specifications, investigating problems on the production floor and converting technical requirements into practical, controlled instructions.
- Provide technical ownership and continuous improvement for hard chrome plating and related aerospace electroplating processes.
- Support cadmium plating, electroless nickel, masking, chemical conversion coating, passivation, Nital Etch, cleaning, activation, stripping, baking and surface preparation.
- Develop, validate and maintain technique sheets, master routings, process plans and work instructions for new and existing aerospace components.
- Translate customer drawings, purchase orders and aerospace specifications into clear production requirements, including process sequence, specification revision, critical parameters, masking boundaries, tooling, inspection points and required records.
- Engineer plating methods for precision-machined components involving dimensional buildup, plating allowance, inside and outside diameters, runout, edge effects, current density and post-plating machining or grinding.
- Develop and improve racks, fixtures, plugs, masking methods, auxiliary anodes, shields and other tooling required for consistent results.
- Establish and control critical parameters such as bath chemistry, temperature, amperage, voltage, current density, plating time, agitation, filtration and solution movement.
- Lead root-cause investigations involving adhesion failure, thickness variation, burning, pitting, nodules, roughness, porosity, corrosion failure and hydrogen-embrittlement risk.
- Partner with laboratory and chemical-control personnel on bath analysis, additions, contamination control, tank maintenance and corrective action.
- Support Nadcap Chemical Processing audits, corrective actions and objective evidence while contributing to AS9100 implementation and disciplined document control.
- Support new-product introduction, first-article readiness, process validation and customer or original equipment manufacturer technical reviews.
- Train plating technicians, maskers, supervisors, planners and inspectors on process requirements and technical fundamentals.
- Improve first-pass yield, process capability, cycle time, repeatability and reduction of rework and scrap.
- Three or more years of direct process engineering, technical process ownership or advanced manufacturing experience involving aerospace electroplating or chemical processing.
- Hands-on technical knowledge of hard chrome plating in an aerospace, aviation, defense or similarly controlled precision-manufacturing environment.
- Experience processing precision-machined components where plating thickness, dimensional tolerance, masking boundaries and post-processing are critical.
- Ability to interpret aerospace drawings, specifications, purchase-order requirements and process standards.
- Working knowledge of plating chemistry, electrochemistry, current density, rectification, anode and cathode relationships, bath control, filtration and process troubleshooting.
- Experience developing or maintaining technique sheets, routings, work instructions, process plans or other controlled manufacturing documentation.
- Demonstrated root-cause analysis, corrective-action and technical-writing ability.
- Ability to work full-time and on-site in Sun Valley, California.
Equivalent hands-on aerospace plating experience will be considered. A specific degree is not required when the candidate can demonstrate the technical depth needed to own these processes.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
- Take meaningful technical ownership rather than serving only in a support capacity.
- Work directly with specialized aerospace processes and precision components.
- Replace tribal knowledge with lasting, controlled engineering methods.
- Influence process capability, quality, delivery and equipment improvements.
- Join an established Southern California aerospace-processing operation with an immediate need for your expertise.
Qualified candidates will be contacted promptly for a confidential initial conversation.
The employer provides equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law.