THE PURPOSE:

As a Senior Materials Science Engineer, you will be responsible for working with the design and manufacturing teams to ensure the materials chosen in the Virgin Hyperloop One system are the optimum selections for each specific application, and that they perform as expected throughout the life of the product. As part of this responsibility, you will be expected to not only make material selection recommendations, but work with the other engineering teams to ensure that each material is fully vetted for the environment in which it will be used. Every member of the materials engineering team should be acutely aware of inappropriate or unsafe materials combinations, environments, or loading conditions which may cause unexpected material failure, and work with the other engineering teams to avoid all such situations. In addition to material properties, the Virgin Hyperloop One Materials Engineer needs to be aware of the cost of various materials and processes, such that an economical solution can be created for the various material needs in the system.

THE ROLE:

• Work with design teams in selecting materials and specify testing for materials validation and qualification, considering material properties, processing, environment, life, and cost.
• Coordinate materials testing, either in-house or at an appropriate lab, through all stages of product development. Testing must meet internal design and performance requirements, as well as external requirements that support certification of the Virgin Hyperloop One system.
• Identify reliability concerns (corrosion, wear, thermal, UV, creep, etc) in products and designs across the Virgin Hyperloop One system, and work with design and manufacturing teams to create reliable processes and products.
• Where specific materials expertise is insufficient, use relationships with other experts in industry or academia to facilitate the best material or process choices. Identify and lead materials opportunities with these experts or with business partners.
• Train, guide and define tasks for technicians to facilitate work at high-standards. Additionally, create guidelines and train other members of the engineering team to improve knowledge in materials selection, metallurgy, heat treatment, metal processing, fabrication and finishing of metal products, and metals testing. If coming from a non-metals background, candidate will create guidelines and train other members of the engineering team to improve knowledge in materials selection, materials processing, material life, outgassing, creep, thermal and UV effects and materials testing.
• Ensure compliance with Environmental Health and Safety guidelines and promote improvements to enhance efficiency and safety in the laboratories and other work areas.
• Provide recommendations for materials test equipment improvements and new capabilities.

THE CANDIDATE:

• Candidate has experience working at multiple stages in the product lifecycle.
• Candidate has excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to create concise and thorough documentation that can be used to further the knowledge base of the company.
• Candidate can work quickly and efficiently on a tight schedule, with little technical guidance. At the same time, candidate has exceptional interpersonal skills and be able to work collaboratively with many other teams.
• Candidate can work multiple tasks concurrently on a tight schedule.
• Candidate thrives when working hard in a challenging environment.
• Candidate enjoys coming up with creative solutions to solve problems.
• Candidate is comfortable with the limits of their own knowledge and admits when they do not know the answer, but is driven to continue learning every day.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering or Materials Science or similar field and at least 5 years of experience working with metals (aluminum, steel, titanium, or stainless steel) and/or non-metals (polymers, composites, coatings, adhesives, or ceramics).
• Experience working with a variety of metals (aluminum, steel, titanium, or stainless steel) and/or non-metal materials (polymers, composites, coatings, adhesives, or ceramics) with an understanding of the key properties and limitations of each.
• Experience selecting and vetting materials for a new design, including determining necessary testing to prove a material for an application.
• Hands-on experience with materials evaluation, testing, manufacturing, and characterization techniques, including determination of appropriate evaluation techniques and limitations of evaluation methods.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• MS or PhD in Engineering.
• Experience working in a startup environment or working in the early stages of an engineering company, working to create or mature engineering processes.
• Experience with corrosion protection and failure analysis of metal products if coming from metals background.