Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer

Job description

**Position** Overview: The Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer will own the technical execution, optimization, and continuous improvement of Velo3D’s Rapid Production Solutions (RPS) metal additive manufacturing operations. This role serves as the technical bridge between additive production, post-processing, metrology, and manufacturing engineering—ensuring complex customer hardware progresses from build through shipment with exceptional quality, predictable cycle times, and clear technical ownership. The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who thrives at the intersection of process development and production execution, driving improvements in yield, throughput, dimensional accuracy, and overall process capability. ### Responsibilities - Own post-build technical execution by performing post-print quality evaluations, including visual inspections, process parameter reviews, and initial assessments to ensure parts meet requirements immediately after printing. - Develop, program, and optimize post-processing workflows, including furnace thermal cycles (stress relief, Sol-Age), depowdering processes, and wire EDM operations. - Serve as the technical authority for wire EDM processing of additive builds by developing dynamic cut strategies based on part geometry, surface area, material, and build characteristics. Design and execute structured experiments to establish process capability and improve repeatability. - Lead Solukon and furnace process development by creating, validating, and maintaining production recipes while partnering with operations to ensure safe, consistent, and efficient thermal processing. - Drive dimensional control and metrology strategies by defining inspection plans, executing 3D scanning workflows, analyzing deviations against CAD and drawings, and generating inspection reports for high-value customer hardware. - Develop and maintain material- and condition-specific shrink-rate databases to establish scaling factors, compensation strategies, and improved first-build success rates. - Create and implement advanced scaling methodologies, including asymmetric scaling approaches based on build height, geometry, and regional deformation trends. - Provide Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) guidance by analyzing distortion, cracking, support strategies, and process risks to improve part designs and manufacturing outcomes. - Investigate and resolve additive manufacturing failure modes, including cracking, deformation, and dimensional nonconformance, translating findings into actionable design rules and process improvements. - Partner cross-functionally with EDM technicians, furnace operators, depowdering teams, quality, and shipping/receiving to eliminate process handoff gaps and improve production flow. - Lead structured continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, yield, process capability, and manufacturing predictability across EDM, heat treatment, scaling, and inspection processes. - Support NCR investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective/preventive actions by ensuring lessons learned are incorporated into designs, build files, process standards, and production controls. - Collaborate with manufacturing leadership to prioritize and execute continuous improvement projects aligned with plant objectives. - Support customer-facing technical engagements and demonstrations that highlight Velo3D’s advanced additive manufacturing capabilities when needed. ### Qualifications - 8+ years of hands-on experience in metal additive manufacturing, production engineering, or advanced manufacturing environments. - Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline. - U.S. Citizenship required due to the nature of company government contract work and associated security requirements. - Strong understanding of GD&T, dimensional inspection methods, scan-based metrology, and translating measurement data into process improvements and compensation strategies. - Demonstrated experience leading structured continuous improvement initiatives in a production environment, including problem definition, experimentation, data analysis, implementation, and standardization. - Ability to work effectively on the manufacturing floor, collaborate directly with operators and technicians, and resolve technical challenges in real time. - Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders across engineering, operations, quality, program management, and executive leadership.