Senior Materials Engineer

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby Aviation is seeking an experienced materials engineer to join our Additive Manufacturing team. You will own the full material lifecycle for AM metallic components—feedstock qualification through post-processing and failure analysis as a principal contributor to Joby's materials qualification program supporting eVTOL development, certification, and production.

You are a self-starter with a strong command of microstructure-processing-properties relationships in aerospace alloys and thrive at the intersection of hands-on lab work and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

Powder & Feedstock Materials

Own incoming qualification and lot acceptance of metallic feedstocks (PSD, morphology, chemistry, flowability, density)

Develop and maintain feedstock control procedures aligned with AM process requirements

Characterize powder degradation and establish reuse limits, blending protocols, and out-of-life criteria

Manage powder suppliers: acceptance specs, source approvals, and non-conformances

Surface Finishing & Post-Processing

Define and qualify AM surface finishing: tumbling, vibratory finishing, electropolishing, chemical etching, shot peening, and precision machining

Characterize surface roughness (Ra/Rz/Sa), residual stress, and sub-surface microstructure before and after finishing

Qualify coatings and surface treatments (anodize, hard coat, conversion coating, thermal spray, PVD/CVD) for corrosion, wear, and fatigue requirements

Establish acceptance criteria and inspection methods for finished AM surfaces

Identify and qualify heat treatment processes for AM parts (stress relief, HIP, solution treat and age)

Specifications, Suppliers & Compliance

Investigate coupon- and component-level failures; perform fracture analysis and drive corrective actions

Author material and process specifications covering feedstock, build parameters, post-processing, and acceptance criteria

Support materials allowables and design-allowable data packages for FAA certification

Partner with stress, design, and quality on material inputs, qualification packages, and MRB dispositions

Required

B.S. degree and 5+ years of industry experience in metallic materials characterization, processing, or manufacturing engineering

M.S degree and 3+ years of relevant industry experience as stated above

Working knowledge of metallic powder characteristics, handling, and qualification

Familiarity with one or more metal AM processes

Experience with common materials characterization techniques (e.g., microscopy, hardness, mechanical testing)

Strong written and verbal communication; able to author specs and present to cross-functional stakeholders

Able to work independently in a fast-paced environment and meet program deadlines (onsite in Marina, CA)

Desired

Ph.D. in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related field of study

5+ years in a controlled/certified manufacturing environment (AS9100, NADCAP, or equivalent)

Hands-on with the full powder lifecycle: atomization, sieving, morphology, reuse qualification, and disposal

Practical knowledge of AM surface finishing and its effect on fatigue life and dimensional compliance

Experience with AM-specific defects: porosity, lack of fusion, keyhole voids, residual stress, and anisotropy

Familiarity with X-ray CT for AM defect and dimensional inspection

Prior experience authoring M&P specifications in regulated aerospace environments

Exposure to fatigue/fracture testing, allowables generation, or FAA certification data packages

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $100,100 - 149,700/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.