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Swarm Aero is building the world's largest swarming UAV and autonomous aircraft network. The company is hiring a Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) Engineer to establish and lead the company's NDI capability from the ground up as it scales from first articles to rate production.
You will define and implement NDI methods, select equipment, and write inspection procedures for composite and metallic structures. Working across design, manufacturing, materials, and operations, you'll develop inspection plans, acceptance/rejection criteria, and reference standards. You'll create quality documentation and control requirements that scale with production, working directly with design and manufacturing teams to influence designs for inspectability and catch defects early.
Key responsibilities include applying Statistical Process Control (SPC) to inspection and manufacturing data to detect process drift, dispositioning defects, supporting root cause investigations, and feeding learnings back into design and process improvements. You'll identify manufacturing bottlenecks, test improvements on the floor, and use production data to optimize throughput, quality, and predictability. You'll also lay the groundwork for an NDI team by developing training, qualification, and certification programs.
This is an opportunity to shape manufacturing quality systems while decisions still matter, with no legacy systems to inherit. You'll have direct impact on how the company builds its first aircraft and the hundreds that follow.
Requirements:
- NDI experience in aerospace, composites, metallics, or complex hardware manufacturing
- Hands-on experience establishing new NDI procedures for a program, company, or production line
- Working knowledge of composite and metallic materials and processes and how they affect inspection method capabilities and limitations
- Depth in one or more NDI methods: ultrasonic (including phased array), radiography/CT, thermography, eddy current, penetrant, or magnetic particle
- Familiarity with NDI qualification and certification standards (NAS 410, ASNT SNT-TC-1A, or equivalent)
- Judgment to implement structure that helps without slowing down the team
- Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for State Department authorization) due to ITAR requirements
- Able to work on-site in Fayetteville, AR
Nice to have:
- NAS 410 Level III certification or clear path to it
- Experience building or leading an NDI team or written practice from scratch
- Background in automated inspection or high-rate composite production
- Experience with aerospace quality systems such as AS9100
