Engineering Manager, Materials Test

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

The Role:

Test Engineering is a brand new team at Hadrian! As Engineering Manager, Materials Test, you'll build and lead our materials testing capability, working without the constraints of a legacy test framework. You'll run the flagship materials test lab at our Los Angeles HQ and lead the engineers and technicians who work in it.

Our welding, casting, forging, and additive teams all depend on this lab for the data behind their process decisions. Welding has the first needs, and the other teams are growing fast. You'll choose the equipment, set how we collect and store data, and decide how the lab balances work across all of those teams. Once the flagship lab is running, you'll turn it into a package we can stand up at any of our factories on short notice.

There is very little existing structure around materials testing at Hadrian. If you want to build a lab from an empty floor, lead a team through it, and own the outcome, this role is for you.

What You’ll Do

• Lead day-to-day operations of the flagship materials test lab

• Hire, manage, and develop a team of engineers and technicians

• Make the final call on technical direction for materials testing

• Select, buy, and install tensile, impact, hardness, metallography, and chemistry equipment, plus specimen prep machines like saws, waterjets, and EDMs. Design custom test equipment when nothing off the shelf fits.

• Set data collection, labeling, and storage requirements for all materials testing. Work with our software and data teams to build the tools.

• Write test automation, work instructions, process plans, and technician training

• Set priorities across welding, casting, forging, and additive so every team gets on-time, quality data

• Own lab safety and quality risks through engineering controls

• Work with quality to keep full traceability on every material and test result

• Standardize workflows and tools with the rest of the test team

• Package the lab so we can deploy it to new factories and programs

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, materials, aerospace, or electrical engineering, or 8+ years of equivalent experience

• 3+ years designing, buying, or installing test or manufacturing equipment

• 1+ years leading people. You've managed engineers, technicians, or both.

• Hands-on materials testing experience on metals or composites

• Working knowledge of ASTM test standards, the equipment used to run them, and when each one applies

• Experience writing work instructions and process documentation for a lab or production floor

• Able to set technical direction and defend it with teams you don't manage

• Able to travel to other sites

What Will Set You Apart

• You've stood up a new lab or test capability from scratch

• You've supervised both engineers and technicians

• System-level testing on hardware more complex than materials specimens

• Test automation in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar

• Work in a regulated environment with strict traceability requirements (AS9100, ISO/IEC 17025, Nadcap, or similar)

• Rolling out a process or capability across multiple sites

• 5S or a similar program in a high-mix shop

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $126,000 - $180,000 (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 for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
  401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, 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.

Use of AI in hiring

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy .

Consideration of Criminal History