Process Engineer

April Quest; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

April Quest is seeking a senior Cure Process Engineer to join our Seattle site, focusing on cure, consolidation, and forming of advanced composites. You will own process definitions and drive improvements across manufacturing, working closely with design and engineering teams to industrialize new capabilities.

The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, technical autonomy, and the delivery of robust, scalable curing and forming solutions for high-performance aerospace components.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in composite curing, consolidation and forming, ideally aerospace.
• Strong knowledge of thermoset and/or thermoplastic composites.
• Experience with cure/ forming processes such as oven cure, crushed core, bladder molding, compression molding, SMC, stamp forming.
• Experience as a manufacturing SME or owning composite processes.
• Knowledge of PFMEA/DFMEA and manufacturing risk management.

Responsibilities

• Own and standardize cure, consolidation and forming processes site-wide.
• Drive process optimisation, root cause analysis and problem solving.
• Develop and maintain process specifications, work instructions and technical documentation.
• Lead the introduction of new tooling, equipment, materials and manufacturing technologies.
• Support PFMEA/DFMEA and continuous improvement activities.
• Collaborate with design and engineering on DFM and industrialization.
• Help transition manual manufacturing processes toward greater automation.
• Act as the technical authority for cure and forming processes across the facility.

Skills

Composite curing

Consolidation & forming

Root cause analysis

PFMEA/DFMEA

Process optimization

Automation

DFM/industrialization

Job description

Cure Process Engineer | Advanced Composites

Seattle, WA | On-site

We’re recruiting for an experienced Cure Process Engineer to join a growing advanced composites manufacturer in the Seattle area.

The business designs and manufactures complex composite structures for the aerospace and defense sectors and is undergoing an exciting period of transformation. With significant investment moving into drones and autonomous systems, defense technology and next-generation composite manufacturing, this is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping future manufacturing capability.

You’ll become the site Subject Matter Expert for composite curing, consolidation and forming, taking technical ownership of existing processes while helping develop and industrialize the next generation of composite manufacturing technologies.

What you’ll be doing:

• Own and standardize composite cure, consolidation and forming processes across the site
• Drive process optimisation, root cause analysis and manufacturing problem-solving
• Develop and maintain process specifications, work instructions and technical documentation
• Lead the introduction of new tooling, equipment, materials and manufacturing technologies
• Support PFMEA/DFMEA, process risk management and continuous improvement activities
• Work closely with design and engineering teams on DFM and industrialization of new productsHelp transition manual manufacturing processes toward greater automation
• Act as the technical authority for cure and forming processes across the facility

What we’re looking for:

• 7+ years’ experience in composite curing, consolidation and forming, ideally within aerospace
• Strong knowledge of thermoset and/or thermoplastic composites
• Experience with processes such as VBO/oven cure, crushed core, bladder molding, compression molding, trapped rubber, SMC, continuous compression molding or stamp forming
• Experience acting as a manufacturing SME or taking technical ownership of composite processes
• Strong knowledge of root cause analysis, PFMEA/DFMEA and manufacturing risk management
• Experience introducing new processes, tooling, equipment or materials into production
• Exposure to Lean, Kaizen, automation and continuous improvement environments

Aerospace experience is highly desirable, although engineers from other advanced composites or high-performance manufacturing environments with directly transferable expertise are also encouraged to apply.

This is a senior, hands-on engineering position with genuine technical autonomy. Decisions are made quickly, the engineering team has real influence, and there is significant investment in people, technology and new manufacturing capability.