Operations Research Scientist

Hadrian — Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We recently raised $260 million dollar Series C to accelerate this mission. We are excited to be launching a new Factory in Mesa, Arizona, a 270,000 square foot facility that will create 350 new jobs immediately. We are opening a new headquarters to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to serve naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian works with startups, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and major defense contractors across space, shipbuilding, and aviation to scale production, reduce costs, and accelerate delivery on mission-critical programs. We are backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz. Our fast-growing team is united by a shared mission to reindustrialize American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond!

The Role

You will drive manufacturing excellence through advanced optimization at Hadrian. As our Operations Research Scientist, you'll tackle complex scheduling, capacity planning, and resource allocation challenges in aerospace manufacturing. Using cutting-edge solvers and potentially RL techniques, you'll build systems that optimize everything from production queues to tool utilization. This role combines rigorous mathematical modeling with real-world impact—your algorithms will directly improve delivery times, reduce costs, and scale our manufacturing capabilities.

What You'll Do

• Design and implement production scheduling algorithms using CP-SAT and MIP solvers.

• Build capacity planning models that balance demand with resource constraints.

• Develop queue management systems to optimize throughput and reduce wait times.

• Create demand forecasting models using modern time series techniques.

• Optimize inventory levels across raw materials and work-in-progress.

• Design tool allocation algorithms considering utilization and maintenance.

• Implement robust optimization for uncertain demand and processing times.

• Explore RL approaches for dynamic scheduling and queue management.

• Build simulation models to validate optimization strategies.

• Develop APIs and tools for real-time decision support.

• Create dashboards to visualize optimization results and KPIs.

• Collaborate with engineers to understand constraints and objectives.

• Design experiments to validate model improvements.

• Document algorithms and train operations teams.

• Stay current with OR research and manufacturing best practices.

What We're Looking For

• Expert knowledge of optimization solvers (OR-Tools, Gurobi, CPLEX).

• Strong background in mathematical optimization (LP, MIP, CP).

• Experience with production scheduling and capacity planning.

• Proficiency in Python and optimization libraries.

• Understanding of manufacturing processes and constraints.

• Experience with forecasting and demand planning.

• Knowledge of queueing theory and simulation.

• Ability to translate business problems into mathematical models.

• Strong statistical and analytical skills.

• Experience deploying optimization models in production.

• Excellent communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.

• Ability to work with messy, real-world data.

• Understanding of computational complexity and algorithm design.

• Experience with A/B testing and experimental design.

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $160,000 - $240,000 (actual range may vary based on experience).

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Benefits

• 100% coverage of medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation stipend if you’re moving from outside of LA

• Flexible vacation policy

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.