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Salary: USD 100,100 - 149,700 / annual
Joby Aviation is seeking an experienced Senior Materials Engineer to join the Additive Manufacturing team supporting eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft development, certification, and production. You will own the full material lifecycle for AM metallic components—from feedstock qualification through post-processing and failure analysis—as a principal contributor to Joby's materials qualification program.
Key Responsibilities:
Powder & Feedstock Materials: Own incoming qualification and lot acceptance of metallic feedstocks (particle size distribution, morphology, chemistry, flowability, density). Develop and maintain feedstock control procedures aligned with AM process requirements. Characterize powder degradation and establish reuse limits, blending protocols, and out-of-life criteria. Manage powder suppliers including acceptance specs, source approvals, and non-conformances.
Surface Finishing & Post-Processing: Define and qualify AM surface finishing methods (tumbling, vibratory finishing, electropolishing, chemical etching, shot peening, precision machining). Characterize surface roughness (Ra/Rz/Sa), residual stress, and sub-surface microstructure before and after finishing. Qualify coatings and surface treatments (anodize, hard coat, conversion coating, thermal spray, PVD/CVD) for corrosion, wear, and fatigue requirements. Establish acceptance criteria and inspection methods for finished AM surfaces.
Heat Treatment & Specifications: Identify and qualify heat treatment processes for AM parts (stress relief, HIP, solution treat and age). Investigate coupon- and component-level failures; perform fracture analysis and drive corrective actions. Author material and process specifications covering feedstock, build parameters, post-processing, and acceptance criteria. Support materials allowables and design-allowable data packages for FAA certification. Partner with stress, design, and quality teams on material inputs, qualification packages, and MRB dispositions.
You are a self-starter with strong command of microstructure-processing-properties relationships in aerospace alloys, thriving at the intersection of hands-on lab work and cross-functional collaboration. The role requires onsite presence in Marina, CA.
Requirements:
- B.S. degree and 5+ years of industry experience in metallic materials characterization, processing, or manufacturing engineering; OR M.S. degree and 3+ years of relevant industry experience
- Working knowledge of metallic powder characteristics, handling, and qualification
- Familiarity with one or more metal AM processes
- Experience with common materials characterization techniques (microscopy, hardness, mechanical testing)
- Strong written and verbal communication; able to author specifications and present to cross-functional stakeholders
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and meet program deadlines
Desired Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or related field
- 5+ years in controlled/certified manufacturing environment (AS9100, NADCAP, or equivalent)
- Hands-on experience with full powder lifecycle: atomization, sieving, morphology, reuse qualification, disposal
- Practical knowledge of AM surface finishing and its effect on fatigue life and dimensional compliance
- Experience with AM-specific defects: porosity, lack of fusion, keyhole voids, residual stress, anisotropy
- Familiarity with X-ray CT for AM defect and dimensional inspection
- Prior experience authoring M&P specifications in regulated aerospace environments
- Exposure to fatigue/fracture testing, allowables generation, or FAA certification data packages
