Senior Process Engineer, Manufacturing

Aether; United States; On-site; USD 115,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Aether is seeking a Senior Process Engineer to lead technology transfer of scaled-up processes to CMOs and to stabilize and continuously improve production at commercial scale. You will work with CMO engineering teams and collaborate closely with R&D and quality functions.

This is an early hire in a new manufacturing organization, shaping the foundation for future growth. Responsibilities include defining process parameters, setting up monitoring, leading troubleshooting, and driving cost and

Qualifications

• BS in chemical engineering or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of process engineering experience in chemical, polymer, or materials manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience leading tech transfer and scale-up into production.
• Ability to work independently at a partner site with experienced teams.
• Structured, data-driven approach to solving technical problems.
• Willingness to travel about 30% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Lead technology transfer of scaled-up processes to CMOs, including transfer package, process descriptions, batch records and BOMs.
• Plan and run scale-up to first commercial production, ensuring high-volume manufacturing capability.
• Define critical process parameters and in-process controls with R&D and quality.
• Set up process monitoring and trend data to stabilize processes and catch drift early.
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for yield, quality, and throughput with QA and CMO engineers.
• Build and run improvement programs targeting yield, cycle time, and cost.
• Conduct process hazard analyses and risk assessments as processes change.

Skills

Tech transfer

Process engineering

Data-driven problem solving

Independent at partner site

Education

BS in chemical engineering or related field

Job description

About Aether

Aether engineers enzymes and uses them to make materials that are difficult or impossible to produce any other way. The long-term goal is to manufacture more or less anything, quickly and cheaply, anywhere, by drawing on a few billion years of evolution rather than inventing the chemistry from scratch. Today that work pays for itself through advanced print materials. These are shipping into defense and unmanned systems, with revenue and strong customer feedback. Aether is a Series A company that has raised a little over $60M, with a small team based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The role

Aether's production processes have been developed and scaled by the R&D and scale-up teams, and are now moving to contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). This role takes those processes and makes them run reliably, repeatably, and economically at commercial scale. You'll be the engineer who leads technology transfer to our CMO partners. Once production is running, you'll stay with it, stabilizing the process and improving it continuously. You'll work directly with CMO engineering teams and in close partnership with Aether's R&D and quality functions. This is one of the first hires in a new manufacturing organization, so the standards you set will become the foundation the function grows on.

What you'll do

• Lead technology transfer of scaled-up processes from Aether's internal teams to CMOs. This includes the transfer package, process descriptions, batch records, and bills of materials.
• Plan and run scale-up through the first commercial production runs, demonstrating that each process can support high-volume manufacturing.
• Define critical process parameters and in-process controls, together with R&D and quality.
• Set up process monitoring and trend data across production batches to stabilize the process and catch drift early.
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for yield, quality, and throughput issues in partnership with quality, and drive corrective actions with CMO engineers.
• Build and run improvement programs targeting yield, cycle time, and cost.
• Conduct process hazard analyses and risk assessments as processes change.

What you bring

• BS in chemical engineering or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of process engineering experience in chemical, polymer, or materials manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience leading tech transfer and scale-up into a production environment, preferably at a contract manufacturer or with outsourced production.
• The ability to work independently at a partner site and hold your own with experienced manufacturing teams.
• A structured, data-driven approach to solving technical problems.
• Willingness to travel about 30% of the time.

Nice to have

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt.
• Experience leading HAZOP or PHA studies.
• Experience with polymer synthesis or compounding.

Note

The pay range for this role is $115,000 to $175,000 per year plus equity, with final compensation based on skills and experience.

Aether is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil-partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates throughout the recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to participate fully in interviews or assessments, please let us know and we will work with you to support your needs.