Test Engineer - Prove Out Reactors and Process Systems for Next-Generation Defense Manufacturing
Waltham, MA | On-site
Opportunity Summary
A venture-backed defense manufacturing startup is building automated, skid-mounted plants that produce the energetic materials inside U.S. and allied munitions. The company needs a Test Engineer to work at the boundary between its chemists and its hardware, turning reaction chemistry into test protocols and proving that reactors and process modules behave safely and predictably.
You will plan and run testing from the bench through pilot and production scale, instrument the setups, analyze the results, and feed what you learn back into chemistry and design. The strongest fit has already owned testing of hazardous or safety-critical chemical hardware from start to finish and enjoys working side by side with chemists to connect lab-scale reaction data with full-scale process behavior.
About Us
We are an early-stage, venture-backed advanced manufacturing company modernizing how energetic materials are produced in the United States. Our modular plants combine continuous chemistry with heavy automation to make critical materials with little to no waste, at lower cost, and on shorter timelines than the legacy facilities supplying the defense industrial base today. With an R&D lab in the Boston area and a pilot site in New England, our small technical team is moving quickly toward full-rate production.
Job Duties
- Lead test planning and execution for reactors and modular process systems across bench, pilot, and production scale
- Partner with the process development team to convert reaction requirements, kinetics, and safety limits into test protocols and acceptance criteria
- Design and execute tests that confirm yield, process performance, and safety margins under real operating conditions
- Instrument test setups for pressure, temperature, flow, level, and concentration, then collect and analyze the data
- Run hardware-in-the-loop testing plus factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) on skid-mounted process modules
- Spot chemistry-driven failure modes and hazards during testing and lead root cause analysis on anomalies
- Verify interlocks, safety systems, and fail-safe responses under upset and off-nominal reaction conditions
- Write test procedures, reports, and deviation records to the standard expected in an audit-ready, hazardous-chemistry operation
- Share test data and floor observations with chemistry and process teams to refine reaction and design parameters
- Support commissioning and startup of production systems at company and customer sites
- Contribute to engineering design reviews, test plans, and technical documentation
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, or a related field
- 3+ years of experience in test engineering, process validation, or a similar hands-on hardware role working closely with chemistry
- End-to-end ownership of test campaigns, from protocol design through data analysis and reporting
- Working knowledge of reaction chemistry and kinetics and how they define process operating windows
- Hands-on experience with process instrumentation, data acquisition (DAQ) systems, and test equipment
- Disciplined documentation habits, close attention to detail, and fast, rigorous troubleshooting
- Comfortable working hands-on with hazardous materials in lab, fabrication, and plant environments, and able to lift up to 50 lbs
- U.S. person status and eligibility to obtain a U.S. security clearance
- Ability to work on-site and travel between sites as needed
Preferred Experience
- Testing chemical, batch, or other hazardous-chemistry process systems
- Ability to read PLC/SCADA control logic as it relates to test execution
- Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for statistical analysis of test data
- Familiarity with safety and reliability standards such as IEC 61508 or ISO 13849
- Experience in defense, aerospace, energetics, or other regulated manufacturing
Why Join Us
- Be the key link between chemistry and hardware on a first-of-its-kind production platform
- Take systems from bench trials through full-scale startup and watch your test data shape the design
- Work hands-on with a small, technical team of chemists and engineers
- Help rebuild a critical part of the U.S. and allied defense supply chain
- Meaningful early-stage equity in a fast-growing, venture-backed company
- Room to grow as the company scales from pilot operations to full-rate manufacturing
Compensation Details
$110,000 - $160,000 + equity
