Senior Energetics Formulation Chemist / Engineer

Innovative Rocket Technologies Inc.

Town of Smithtown (NY)

On-site

USD 150,000 - 210,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental &amp

Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)

Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&

Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & U

Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)

Short Term & Long Term Disability

Wellness Resources

Job summary

Innovative Rocket Technologies Inc. is seeking a Senior Energetics Formulation Chemist/Engineer to lead propellant formulation and manufacturing scale-up for solid rocket motors.

You will drive formulation development, processing optimization, and safe production transfer while coordinating with design, manufacturing, and quality teams. The role requires hands-on experience with energetic materials, strong problem-solving skills, and willingness to travel for extended periods to multiple sites

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field with direct experience in energetic materials.
Advanced degree preferred in chemistry, chemical engineering, or materials science.
Experience transitioning formulations into production with safety emphasis.

Responsibilities

Lead formulation and development of energetic material systems for solid rocket motors.
Plan, execute, and analyze formulation experiments and test data.
Develop processes from lab to repeatable manufacturing with emphasis on safety and cost.
Define facility requirements and assist with equipment selection and commissioning.
Create manufacturing instructions, controls, and technical documentation.
Collaborate with design, manufacturing, quality, and program teams.
Support hazard analyses and regulatory and explosives-safety requirements.
Mentor staff and act as SME for energetics formulation and scale-up.

Skills

Propellant formulation

Energetic materials processing

Scale-up and manufacturing transfer

Safety and regulatory compliance

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

MS or PhD preferred

Tools

Energetic-material manufacturing equipment

Laboratory to production scale processes

Job description

Position Overview

iRocket is seeking a senior Energetics Formulation Chemist or Engineer to lead the formulation, development, scale-up, and manufacturing transition of energetic materials for solid rocket motor applications. The ideal candidate brings strong practical experience in propellant formulation and processing, understands the relationship between formulation, processing, performance, aging, and safety, and can translate customer requirements into repeatable production capability.

This role is intended for a technical leader who can develop both the energetic formulation and the manufacturing capability required to safety produce requirements materials both using traditional and non-traditional manufacturing at scale. Requires work in Long Island, Texas and Indiana, so employee must be willing to travel for extended times.

Key Responsibilities

Lead formulation and development of solid rocket motor propellants and related energetic material systems, including ingredient selection, formulation optimization, mixing, casting, cure, and test.
Plan and execute formulation experiments, characterize material and ballistic performance, analyze test data, troubleshoot anomalies, and drive iterative improvements.
Develop and mature processes from laboratory or pilot scale through repeatable manufacturing, with emphasis on producibility, quality, safety, cost, and throughput.
Define requirements and support the design, layout, equipment selection, commissioning, and operational readiness of energetic‑material manufacturing and processing facilities.
Develop manufacturing instructions, process controls, specifications, acceptance criteria, and technical documentation supporting safe and repeatable production.
Work closely with SRM design, manufacturing, test, quality, and program personnel to ensure energetic‑material characteristics are integrated into motor design and performance.
Support hazard analyses, energetic‑material handling practices, process safety reviews, environmental/operational controls, and applicable regulatory and explosives‑safety requirements.
Mentor technical staff and serve as a subject‑matter expert for energetics formulation, processing, scale‑up, and manufacturing readiness.

Minimum of Bachelor’s but preferred advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a closely related technical field.

Minimum 5 years of directly relevant professional experience in energetic materials, solid propellants, or solid rocket motor propulsion; 10+ years strongly preferred.

Demonstrated hands‑on experience developing and processing solid rocket motor propellant formulations and transitioning formulations toward production.

Experience with energetic‑material manufacturing equipment, facility/process development, production scale‑up, and safe operations.

Ability to lead technical problem solving independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing teams.

Highly Desired Experience

Propellant systems formulation, burn‑rate tailoring, mechanical properties, rheology, cure chemistry, aging/life assessment, insensitive‑munitions considerations, and/or performance characterization.
Design or startup of energetic‑material laboratories, pilot lines, or production facilities, including equipment specification and process‑flow development.
Experience supporting static‑fire testing, failure/anomaly investigation, qualification, production readiness, and configuration‑controlled technical data.
Experience in a rapid‑development environment where technical rigor and disciplined safety are paired with aggressive hardware schedules.