Senior Propellant Formulation Chemist/Engineer

FINITETEK INC; United States; On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance and AD&D

Paid vacation, sick leave, and public/

Family leave

Disability coverage

Job summary

FINITETEK INC is seeking a Senior Energetics Formulation Chemist/Engineer to lead formulation, development, scale-up, and the manufacturing transition of energetic materials for solid rocket motors. You will oversee experiments, analyze data, and ensure readiness from lab to production.

The role requires hands-on experience with energetic materials, solid propellants, and production transition. Collaboration with design, testing, quality, and program teams is essential, along with a strong focus

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or closely related technical field.
• Minimum of 5 years of directly relevant experience in energetic materials, solid propellants, or solid rocket motor propulsion.
• Hands-on experience in solid rocket motor propellant formulation, processing, and production transition.
• Experience with energetic-material manufacturing equipment, process development, production scale-up, and safe operations.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and ability to work independently and across multidisciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel for extended periods as required.
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) and 10+ years of experience are highly desirable.
• Knowledge of propellant systems, cure chemistry, aging assessment, and performance characterization.
• Experience supporting static-fire testing, failure investigations, and production readiness.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of solid rocket motor propellants and related energetic material systems.
• Plan formulation experiments, characterize material performance, analyze test data, and troubleshoot issues.
• Transition lab and pilot-scale processes into repeatable manufacturing operations.
• Support manufacturing facility design, equipment selection, commissioning, and readiness.
• Develop manufacturing instructions, process controls, specifications, and documentation.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, testing, quality, and program teams.
• Assist hazard analyses, safety reviews, energetic-material handling, and regulatory compliance.
• Mentor staff with expertise in formulation, processing, scale-up, and readiness.

Skills

Propellant formulation

Scale-up & manufacturing

Energetic materials

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

Master’s or PhD in a relevant discipline

Tools

Energetic-material processing equipment

Job description

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 will have hands-on experience in propellant formulation and processing, material performance, aging, safety, and production readiness.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the development of solid rocket motor propellants and related energetic material systems.
• Plan formulation experiments, characterize material performance, analyze test data, and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Transition laboratory and pilot-scale processes into repeatable manufacturing operations.
• Support manufacturing facility design, equipment selection, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• Develop manufacturing instructions, process controls, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, testing, quality, and program teams.
• Support hazard analyses, process safety reviews, energetic-material handling, and regulatory compliance.
• Mentor technical staff and provide expertise in formulation, processing, scale-up, and manufacturing readiness.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related technical field.
• Minimum of 5 years of directly relevant experience in energetic materials, solid propellants, or solid rocket motor propulsion.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in solid rocket motor propellant formulation, processing, and production transition.
• Experience with energetic-material manufacturing equipment, process development, production scale-up, and safe operations.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Willingness to travel for extended periods as required.

HIGHLY DESIRED EXPERIENCE

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in a relevant technical discipline.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Knowledge of propellant systems, material properties, cure chemistry, aging assessment, and performance characterization.
• Experience supporting static-fire testing, failure investigations, qualification, and production readiness.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment while maintaining technical rigor and safety standards.

BENEFITS

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and AD&D coverage
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and public holidays
• Family leave
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage