Tooling Engineer, Forging

Hadrian; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance package

401k

Relocation support

Flexible vacation

Equity

Job summary

Hadrian is hiring a Forge Tooling Engineer to design structural and mechanical forge tooling for aerospace components, focusing on ferrous and non-ferrous high‑volume parts. You will collaborate with engineers, vendors, and technicians to source, install, and optimize tooling, while performing FEA and die-stress analyses to ensure robust designs.

You will drive testing, documentation, and safety procedures, and lead the commissioning of custom tooling, integrating with controls teams for smooth

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Physics, or related STEM field.
• 5+ years in a forging production system environment with emphasis on rate production optimization and tool life improvement.
• Experience in designing forge tooling systems for complex, high production parts.
• Ability to perform FEA and die stress analysis to validate forge tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design structural and mechanical forge tooling for aerospace components and forging processes.
• Collaborate with engineers and vendors to source/build forge tooling systems.
• Interface with technicians to validate, install, and optimize forge tooling usage.
• Conduct FEA, flow simulations, and die stress analyses to validate designs.
• Document technical specifications, usage guides, and safety procedures.
• Drive testing, validation, and iteration of forge tooling solutions.
• Lead efforts to commission custom production forge tooling and machinery.
• Support automated forge tooling integration with controls engineers.

Skills

Forge tooling design

FEA analysis

3D modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Physics, or related STEM

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

NX

ANSYS

DEFORM

Forge

Q-Form

Job description

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz. Our fast‑growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The factories‑as‑a‑service team analyzes our current customers' production and supply‑chain challenges, builds data‑driven presentations, designs and scopes factories of the future, and assists the Federal and Strategic sales team in forming long‑term partnerships with the DOD, Primes, and other manufacturers. This team is responsible for scoping, design, cost, schedule, and technology analysis, as well as proposals for major programs and manufacturing transformations across all manufacturing methods and domains. With several major programs in flight, we are hiring rapidly for this team that will effectively analyze, design, scope, plan, and handover (or join) execution of large‑scale manufacturing efforts.

The Role

• Design structural and mechanical forge tooling for ferrous and non‑ferrous aerospace components and assemblies for the complete suite of forging processes, focusing on mechanical, hydraulic, screw, and horizontal hot forming presses.
• Collaborate with engineers and vendors to source/build, and deploy forge tooling systems.
• Interface with technicians to validate, install, and optimize forge tooling usage.
• Conduct FEA, flow simulations, and die stress analyses to validate designs.
• Document technical specifications, usage guides, and safety procedures.
• Drive testing, validation, and iteration of forge tooling solutions.
• Lead efforts to commission custom production forge tooling and machinery.
• Support automated forge tooling integration in collaboration with controls engineers, for the exchange of perishable tooling and changeover.
• Use hand calculations and analytical techniques to guide design.
• Ensure all systems comply with OSHA and critical lifting requirements.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Physics, or a related STEM field.
• 5+ years in a forging production system environment with emphasis on rate production optimization, tool life improvement, and defect prevention.
• Strong understanding of the various forge manufacturing processes and first principles of bulk deformation for ferrous and non‑ferrous products, and how forge tooling supports quality and production efficiency.
• Experience in designing forge tooling systems for complex and high production parts and their integration with larger assemblies and downstream operations, such as machining or welding.
• Ability to contribute to both prototyping and continuous improvement efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to perform FEA and die stress analysis to validate forge tooling under real‑world conditions with proficiency in 3D modeling and simulation tools (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA, NX, ANSYS, DEFORM, Forge, Q‑Form, or related software).
• Knowledge of tool steel selection, fabrication, heat treatment, and assembly techniques suitable for high‑load and high‑temperature environments.
• Knowledge of material behavior for hot bulk forming processes, such as upsetting and extrusion of ferrous and non‑ferrous metals.

What Will Set You Apart

• Experience working with cross‑functional teams including design, quality, and automation.
• 5+ years in a high production forging environment with emphasis on rate production optimization, tool life improvement, and defect prevention.
• Industry experience with critical operations such as designing for assembly, OSHA requirements, and essential considerations of lifting, rotating, and handling of hot tooling assemblies.
• Industry experience with tool steels for hot working, heat treatment, and coatings, as well as tool performance under high heats and loads with an understanding of thermal cycling and efficiency of changeover.
• Industry experience working and interacting within a multidisciplinary team, including engineers, technicians, suppliers/vendors, and facility personnel.

Benefits For Full‑time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
• 401k
• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy
• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.