Senior- Scaled Inorganic Particle Synthesis Scientist

InvestedintheMission; Bath Township (OH); On-site; USD 113,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

AeroVironment is hiring a Scaled Inorganic Particle Synthesis Scientist to bridge benchtop chemistry to multi‑kilogram production of advanced inorganic powders and high‑temperature precursors. You will mentor staff, lead cross‑functional projects with AFRL partners, and drive lab‑to‑pilot scale‑ups in a defense‑focused environment.

As a senior SME, you will oversee synthesis, characterization, and process development, ensuring quality control and safe inert‑atmosphere operations while

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry or related field with 3–5+ years in industry or postdoc.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to DoD facilities access.
• Experience scaling inorganic materials to multi‑kilogram production.
• Strong lab leadership and mentoring capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead synthesis, purification, and pilot-scale production of advanced inorganic powders and precursors.
• Develop scalable wet-chemical, sol-gel, vapor-phase, or solid-state routes for scale-up.
• Serve as technical lead translating program requirements into synthesis plans.
• Establish QC, stoichiometry, morphology, and particle-size criteria with PAT tools.
• Oversee material characterization (XRD, SEM/EDS, TGA/DSC, BET).
• Establish air-free synthesis protocols (Schlenk, glovebox) for sensitive precursors.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate powders into downstream processes.
• Mentor junior scientists and manage project deliverables and budgets.
• Prepare progress reports and design reviews for DoD and partners.

Skills

Scale-up leadership

Mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Autonomy

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry

M.S. in relevant field

Tools

XRD

SEM

TGA/DSC

Schlenk line

Job description

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment (AV) is a global leader in autonomous, multi-domain robotic systems, tactical missile systems, and high-altitude pseudo-satellites. Founded on a legacy of groundbreaking aerospace innovation, AV redefines mission-critical capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.

Position Overview

AeroVironment is seeking a Scaled Inorganic Particle Synthesis Scientist to drive advanced materials development for high-performance defense systems. In this role, you will lead the bridge between benchtop chemical discovery and batch/continuous scale-up of novel inorganic powders, ceramic precursors, and high-temperature functional nanoparticles.

As a Senior scientist, you will act as a key subject matter expert (SME), operating with high autonomy while providing technical mentorship to lower-tier scientists and engineers. You will lead cross-functional projects, manage lab-to-pilot scale-up workflows, and collaborate closely with government research partners (e.g., Air Force Research Laboratory - AFRL) and internal flight/warhead structural teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical execution for the synthesis, purification, and pilot-scale batch production of advanced inorganic powders, non-oxide ceramics, and high‑temperature precursors.
• Develop scalable wet‑chemical, sol‑gel, vapor‑phase, or solid‑state synthetic routes to transition novel formulations from gram‑scale research to multi‑kilogram production.
• Serve as the technical lead on advanced material research tasks, translating high‑level program requirements into concrete chemical synthesis matrix plans.
• Establish quality control, stoichiometry, morphologic, and particle‑size distribution parameters using automated instrumentation and process analytical technology (PAT).
• Oversee advanced material characterization techniques including XRD, SEM/EDS, TGA/DSC, BET surface area analysis, laser diffraction particle sizing, and rheometry.
• Establish inert‑atmosphere chemistry protocols (Schlenk line, glovebox operations) for air/moisture‑sensitive inorganic and organometallic precursors.
• Work closely with composite, structural, and payload engineering teams to integrate synthesized powders into downstream manufacturing processes (e.g., sintering, additive manufacturing, slurry coatings).
• Guide, mentor, and review the work products of junior scientists, engineers, and lab technicians.
• Manage project deliverables, technical risk registers, schedule milestones, and research budgets for internal research and development (IRAD) or contracted customer programs.
• Prepare and present technical progress reports and design reviews to executive leadership, DoD stakeholders, and external technical partners.
• Proven track record in the synthetic scale‑up of inorganic systems (e.g., borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides, or inorganic polymers).
• Hands‑on experience with reactor design, reaction kinetics, particle nucleation/growth control, and powder processing (e.g., milling, spray drying, calcination).
• Strong expertise in air‑free synthesis techniques (Schlenk lines, gloveboxes) and characterization tools (SEM, XRD, TGA).

Qualifications

• Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, or a related field with 3–5+ years of industry/postdoctoral experience; OR an M.S. degree with 6–8+ years of relevant scaled‑synthesis experience.
• U.S. Citizenship: Required due to work within government facilities and access to export‑controlled data.

Preferred / Desired Qualifications

• Experience collaborating with government labs (e.g., AFRL, NRL, ORNL) on DoD or DARPA advanced materials programs.
• Direct experience with preceramic polymers or high‑temperature structural ceramics for aerospace/defense applications.
• Knowledge of Design of Experiments (DoE) methodology and statistical process control (SPC) for chemical production routines.
• Active Secret or Top‑Secret U.S. Security Clearance.

Clearance Level

No Clearance

Salary

The salary range for this role is:

$112,500 - $171,750

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that