Process Engineer

April Quest; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

April Quest is seeking a skilled Composite Process Engineer to join our Seattle-area manufacturing team. You will drive process development, optimize composite manufacturing steps, and ensure robust production capability for advanced aerospace and defense programs.

The role emphasizes collaboration across engineering, operations, and quality to deliver reliable, high-performance structures. Experience in autoclave, forming, and resin systems is valuable, with emphasis on DFMEA and risk reduction.

Qualifications

• Experience in composites manufacturing and process engineering.
• Proficiency with manufacturing development and process validation.
• Background in aerospace or related high-performance manufacturing.

Skills

Composite manufacturing

Process engineering

Lean manufacturing

NPI / MPI

DFM / DFA

Root cause analysis

Manufacturing automation

Job description

Composite Process Engineers | Aerospace, Defense & Advanced Composites

Join a business investing in the future of advanced manufacturing.

Our client designs and manufactures advanced composite structures for the aerospace and defense sectors. As part of a major strategic transformation, the business is moving beyond traditional commercial aerospace and making significant investments in autonomous systems, drone technologies, defense programs and next-generation composite manufacturing.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an engineering team where you'll have genuine autonomy, decisions are made quickly, and investment in people, technology and manufacturing capability is a real priority.

We're Looking For

As the business continues to grow, we're looking to speak with experienced engineers from across the composites manufacturing sector.

Whether your background is in manufacturing engineering, industrialization, materials & processes, process development or new product introduction, we'd love to hear from you.

We're particularly interested in experience in areas such as:

• Composite manufacturing and process engineering
• Composite curing, consolidation and forming technologies
• Bonding, assembly and adhesive processes
• Autoclave, oven cure and press processing
• Thermoset and thermoplastic composite manufacturing
• Manufacturing industrialization and process development
• Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
• New Product Introduction (NPI) and Manufacturing Process Introduction (MPI)
• Tooling, fixtures and production equipment
• Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement and process optimization
• Root cause analysis, process validation and manufacturing problem solving
• Manufacturing automation and advanced production technologies
• Materials & Process (M&P) Engineering
• Composite materials, resin systems and advanced material development
• PFMEA, DFMEA, manufacturing readiness and risk management

About You

You'll enjoy solving complex manufacturing challenges and be passionate about improving production capability, developing robust manufacturing processes and working collaboratively across engineering, operations and quality.

Experience within aerospace is highly desirable, but we're equally interested in engineers from other advanced manufacturing sectors including:

• Defense
• Motorsport
• Automotive
• Advanced composites
• High-performance manufacturing

Whether you're an experienced Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineer, Industrialization Engineer, Materials & Process Engineer or recognized Subject Matter Expert, we'd be delighted to discuss the opportunities available.

Why Apply?

• Join a business investing heavily in the future of defense and autonomous systems
• Work on cutting-edge composite technologies and advanced manufacturing processes
• Be part of a highly collaborative engineering environment with genuine influence
• Significant investment in people, facilities and technology
• Excellent opportunities for technical development and career progression

If you're looking for an opportunity to help shape the future of advanced composite manufacturing, we'd love to hear from you.