Senior Materials & Process Engineer - Powder Metallurgy

Vulcan-Elements; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements in Research Triangle Park, NC, seeks a Senior/Staff Materials and Process Engineer to lead end-to-end powder metallurgy for NdFeB magnets. You will optimize hydrogen decrepitation, jet milling, pressing, vacuum sintering, and post-sinter heat treatments to maximize magnetic performance and yield.

You will correlate process variables with microstructure and properties, lead root-cause analyses, and transition new alloy compositions from pilot to high-volume production, partnering

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of hands-on engineering experience in powder metallurgy in an industrial setting.
• Experience with reactive metal powder processing, protective inert atmospheres, vacuum thermal processing, and advanced sintering kinetics.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques such as SEM, XRD, TGA/DSC.
• Strong experience in design of experiments, statistical processing, and leading research efforts.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize the powder metallurgy pipeline, including hydrogen decrepitation, jet milling, pressing and compaction, vacuum sintering, and post-sinter heat treatments.
• Correlate process variables to magnetic properties, microstructure, and part quality.
• Lead root-cause failure analyses for sample defects and implement corrective actions.
• Transition new alloy compositions from pilot scale to robust, high-volume production.
• Define technical specifications and partner with Manufacturing team for selection and commissioning of next-generation manufacturing equipment.

Skills

Powder metallurgy

Experimental design

Statistical analysis

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s/Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgical/ Chemical Engineering

Tools

SEM

XRD

TGA/DSC

Python

MATLAB

JMP

Job description

Overview

Research Triangle Park, NC

Vulcan Elements manufactures American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

As a Senior/Staff Materials and Process Engineer, you will serve as the technical lead for the end-to-end powder metallurgy manufacturing process—spanning powder processing, advanced compaction, and thermal treatment. You will be responsible for optimizing current production lines, scaling new NdFeB magnet formulations, and troubleshooting complex materials anomalies. This role bridges the gap between R&D and high-volume production, ensuring maximum magnetic performance, microstructural integrity, and manufacturing yield. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role requiring deep technical expertise and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize the powder metallurgy pipeline, including hydrogen decrepitation, jet milling, pressing and compaction, vacuum sintering, and post-sinter heat treatments.
• Correlate process variables to magnetic properties, microstructure, and part quality.
• Lead root-cause failure analyses for sample defects and implement corrective actions.
• Transition new alloy compositions from pilot scale to robust, high-volume production.
• Define technical specifications and partner with Manufacturing team for selection and commissioning of next-generation manufacturing equipment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of hands-on engineering experience in powder metallurgy processing (industrial manufacturing setting preferred).
• Experience with reactive metal powder processing, protective inert atmospheres, vacuum thermal processing, and advanced sintering kinetics.
• Experience with materials characterization and analytical techniques such as SEM, XRD, TGA/DSC
• Strong experience in design of experiments, statistical processing, and leading research efforts

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience in the manufacturing of sintered NdFeB permanent magnets and grain boundary diffusion processes.
• Strong proficiency in evaluating magnetic materials properties and interpreting microstructural data.
• Experience utilizing data analysis tools (such as Python, MATLAB, or JMP) to analyze manufacturing quality datasets or automate performance mapping.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 quality management standards.