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Salary: USD 200,000 - 300,000 / annual
Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. As Head of Turbomachinery Technology, you will establish and lead a new engineering division focused on rotating machinery designed around metal 3D printing capabilities—enabling integrated geometries, fewer parts, and performance beyond what casting and machining can achieve.
You will set the technical direction for the turbomachinery division, taking new architectures from first-principles analysis through hardware test. Working alongside teams that build Freeform's printing technology, you will own the full lifecycle of compressors, turbines, and pumps optimized for additive manufacturing.
Key responsibilities include:
- Establish and lead the turbomachinery division: technical strategy, roadmap, team structure, and hiring
- Lead aerodynamic and thermo-mechanical design of compressors, turbines, and pumps for additive manufacturing
- Define design rules, analysis methods, and validation approaches for rotating hardware on Freeform's platform
- Direct rotordynamics, structural, and life analysis (fatigue, creep, vibration)
- Plan and execute component and rig testing; correlate results with CFD and FEA models
- Collaborate with materials, process, simulation, controls, and manufacturing engineers to feed learnings back into printing technology
- Own schedule, budget, and technical risk for division programs
- Recruit, mentor, and develop a team of turbomachinery engineers
This is a founding leadership role with direct access to senior leadership and significant room to grow the division. The role is based in Freeform's vertically integrated Hawthorne facility, which brings technology development, R&D, and production together under one roof. Full-time onsite presence (five days per week) is required, with very limited exceptions.
Requirements:
While the posting lists responsibilities under "Basic Qualifications" (which appear to be duplicated from the responsibilities section), the actual qualifications are listed under "Nice to Have": Master's or PhD in a relevant field; proficiency with CFD and FEA tools and experience correlating models to test data; experience leading engineers or technical programs; experience with high-speed, high-temperature, cryogenic, or supercritical fluid machinery; hands-on experience with bearings, seals, and rotor balancing; experience building or commissioning turbomachinery test rigs and facilities; familiarity with nickel superalloys and other high-performance materials; background in a startup or fast-paced R&D environment; experience building a technical team from scratch.
