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Salary: USD 150,000 - 220,000 / annual
Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America, combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing to help aerospace and defense companies build mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at lower cost. The company recently closed a $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation and is rapidly expanding manufacturing capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more.
This role is a hands-on qualification engineer responsible for taking additive manufacturing systems from installed equipment to qualified, production-released capability. You will author and execute Installation Qualification (IQ) and Operational Qualification (OQ) protocols for metal and polymer printers, qualify the software and firmware toolchain, and build the qualification data packages that Army, Navy, and aerospace prime customers audit against. Performance qualification (PQ) sits with Materials & Process and Application Engineering—this role provides them a qualified machine and defensible data baseline.
Key responsibilities include:
• Authoring, executing, and closing out IQ and OQ protocols for all AM systems (metal powder bed fusion, polymer platforms, supporting equipment) with documented traceability from installation through production release
• Executing Hadrian's Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT) playbook for incoming AM equipment, adapting to site conditions from Torrance to government depot facilities, coordinating OEM field engineers
• Qualifying the AM software toolchain—build prep, slicing, simulation, machine firmware, data management—including version control, change management, and regression testing on every revision
• Maintaining configuration control across the fleet and partnering with IT and Security on accreditation of networked machine controllers under NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC
• Qualifying both metal and polymer platforms, adapting protocols to distinct subsystems, failure modes, environmental controls, and acceptance criteria
• Designing and running machine capability and equivalence studies—build repeatability, machine-to-machine and layer-to-layer consistency, positional effects, and Cpk analysis against drawing tolerances
• Qualifying metrology systems (CMMs, structured light/laser scanning, dimensional CT, surface texture), owning gauge R&R, MSA, calibration traceability, and equipment acceptance per ISO 10360
• Establishing datum and fixturing strategy for as-built AM surfaces and qualifying scan-to-CAD comparison methods
• Partnering with Materials & Process on powder and polymer lot acceptance, reuse and recycling controls, storage and handling per AMS7002, and witness coupon strategy
• Building and defending qualification data packages satisfying Army/TACOM, DLA source approval, US Navy, NIAR/NCAMP, AMS7032, ISO/ASTM 52920, and prime requirements—including first article testing and TDPs per MIL-STD-31000
• Serving as qualification interface to depot and government stakeholders, DCMA, Nadcap, and prime auditors
• Defining and maintaining operator training, certification, and requalification records across Hadrian sites, meeting Nadcap AC7110/14 and customer audit expectations
• Leading structured problem-solving on qualification failures using 8D, 5 Whys, and fishbone analysis, driving CAPA to verified closure
• Partnering cross-functionally with AM, Materials & Process, Manufacturing Engineering, Software, Quality, and Operations to keep protocols executable and scalable
Based in Torrance, CA with travel to sites where machines land, including Red River Army Depot in Texas.
Qualifications:
Direct experience qualifying metal AM equipment to AMS7032, ISO/ASTM TS 52930, ISO/ASTM 52920, or NIAR/NCAMP and US Navy AM requirements. Experience supporting PQ alongside materials, process, or application engineering teams. Experience measuring as-built additive surfaces and performing scan-to-CAD comparison. Defense depot, government-owned facility, or A&D production environment background; Nadcap AC7110/14 or AS9100 experience. Familiarity with government part qualification pathways—Army/TACOM or DLA source approval, first article testing, TDP development per MIL-STD-31000. Experience standing up qualification from scratch at a new site rather than inheriting a mature system.
