Forging Engineering Specialist

Department: Capabilties

Location: Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Employment Type: FullTime

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’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

FORGING ENGINEERING SPECIALISTS

Help us Build the Future of Forging

We are advancing modern forging by integrating process expertise, precision engineering, and scalable manufacturing across the full production lifecycle—from raw material preparation through final inspection and surface finishing. Treating forging as a fully connected system enables step-function improvements in quality, repeatability, and throughput for critical components.

We are solving hard problems across forming, thermal processing, machining, metrology, and finishing. This requires engineers with deep domain expertise who can also operate across adjacent processes.

This is a general opening to identify and engage forging engineers with specialized experience across key process areas.

Core Specialty Areas

• We are looking for Product, Process, Manufacturing, Materials and Design professionals who are aligned with our mission in advancing forging capabilities to support the re-industrialization of forging products for critical infrastructure, aerospace & defense, and energy to support our country.

• We are specifically interested in engineers with experience in one or more of the following:

• Raw Material Preparation: Hot & Cold Sawing and shearing

• Thermal Processing: Heating of Billets & Tooling. Heat treatment of forging & tooling.

• Primary Forming: Closed/Open/Rolling/Rings/Extrusion

• Surface Preparation: Hot & cold descaling, pickling, coating, & shot blasting

• Post-Form Operations: Trimming & piercing, coining & sizing, bending & straightening

• Machining: Rough milling, drilling, turning, broaching, flow forming, grinding, & welding.

• Inspection & Metrology: Ultrasonic, Magnetic Particle, CMM Inspection & Vision

• Finishing: Painting, plating & coating

Role Details

• Apply deep technical forging knowledge & experience to define & develop new or existing processes to build or enhance process capability and production performance

• Use 1st principles engineering methodologies to drive process development & optimization through part & process simulation, data analysis, design of experiments, and continuous improvement

• Partner with operations, quality, and maintenance to ensure stable & capable manufacturing processes

• Develop and refine process documentation, control plans, standard work, & SOP’s

• Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives across the forging lifecycle

• Proficient in working autonomously or in team settings. Capable of self-direction and owning the outcome of individual contributions and project-based work.

What We’re Looking For

• Degree in engineering or equivalent hands-on forging/manufacturing experience

• Demonstrated expertise in at least one core forging process area

• Ability to interpret technical drawings, GD&T, and process specifications

• Developed analytical skillset with a focus on process capability, variation reduction, & creative problem solving

• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, production-driven environments

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to explain technical details to internal and external stakeholders.

• Proven record of implementation & execution of high impact projects, root-cause remediation, and efficiency gains.

What Sets You Apart

• Firsthand experience spanning multiple stages of the forging value chain (material → forming → finishing → inspection)

• Experience integrating multiple modes of metal flow to achieve high accuracy of complex shapes; preform à extrude à roll à upset à coin

• Solid grasp of machine design concepts, power transmission, and work/energy principles

• Direct knowledge of the thermal processing of metals

• Expertise in non-ferrous metals, such as Titanium, Aluminum, and Nickel based alloys.

• Strong quality background (SPC, PPAP, PFMEA, control charts, NCR/CAPA systems)

• Knowledge of industry standards (AS9100, ISO 9001, TS 16949, NADCAP, AMS/ASTM, MIL, NAVSEA)

• Experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, or other high-spec manufacturing environments

• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or basic process improvement frameworks

• Formal material science or metallurgical training

• A high energy, contagious attitude and focused work ethic

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

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.