Senior Contract Process Engineer / Project Contractor (Aerospace)

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States; onsite at the Cincinnati facility.

Company

hirify.global develops and manufactures additively manufactured jet propulsion systems for unmanned aerial defense and supports the U.S. defense industrial base through manufacturing in the United States.

What you will do

• Lead the design, installation, qualification, and scale-up of in-house pre-penetrant etch capability supporting Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI).
• Select processes, design equipment layouts, and develop material-specific acid and alkali etch recipes for stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel-based alloys, and other materials.
• Coordinate Facilities, EHS, Quality, Operations, Procurement, and external vendors on ventilation, containment, utilities, emergency systems, wastewater infrastructure, equipment, chemicals, and analytical services.
• Establish etch-rate monitoring, solution chemistry analysis, temperature control, process-control coupons, statistical process control, traceability, and dimensional-impact controls.
• Develop procedures, work instructions, training materials, qualification packages, and personnel-certification support while ensuring compliance with customer, NADCAP, ASTM E1417, NAS 410, and internal requirements.
• Lead risk assessments, FMEA, pilot trials, process qualification, first-article runs, ramp-up troubleshooting, and transition to steady-state operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in chemical processing, metal finishing, etching, pickling, or surface preparation, including significant experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability manufacturing.
• Experience standing up or transferring chemical process lines, including facilities integration, EHS compliance, and production ramp-up.
• Direct experience with pre-penetrant etch or equivalent controlled material-removal processes supporting NDT/FPI, including etch-rate control, alloy-specific chemistry, and process qualification.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and external vendors on capital or process-installation projects.
• Knowledge of wet chemical etching, solution chemistry control, material compatibility, dimensional and stock-loss management, and hazardous-chemical EHS controls.
• Knowledge of engineering controls, PPE, exposure monitoring, emergency systems, waste handling, process equipment selection, layout, ventilation considerations, and vendor technical management.
• Project-management, documentation, procedure-writing, training, analytical problem-solving, SPC, continuous-improvement, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Experience with regulatory and customer requirements such as NADCAP AC7108/AC7114, ASTM E1417, NAS 410, AS9100, and customer process specifications.

Nice to have

• Level II or III NDT experience or working knowledge of FPI process controls and indication interpretation.
• Experience with aerospace OEM etch specifications such as HS7725, RPS series, or equivalent, or with NADCAP chemical-processing audits.
• Experience with wastewater treatment systems, scrubbers, or closed-loop chemical handling for metal finishing.
• Lean/Six Sigma or formal project-management certification.
• Experience with electropolishing as an alternative or complementary pre-FPI preparation method.

Culture & Benefits

• Contract role lasting 9 months or longer.
• Medical, dental, life, and short- and long-term disability coverage from day one.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company matching.
• Bonus eligibility and company equity.
• Inclusive equal-opportunity work environment focused on supporting the defense industrial base.