Senior Contract Process Engineer / Project Contractor

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost.  

Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Cincinnati. Ohio facility.

Role Overview 

This highly experienced contract role leads the end-to-end insourcing of pre-penetrant etch processes to support Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI). The position focuses on standing up safe, controlled, and scalable chemical etch operations that remove a precisely controlled layer of smeared metal (typically 0.00005–0.0002 in) from machined surfaces so that subsequent FPI can reliably detect surface-breaking defects. The role requires strong coordination across Facilities, EHS, Quality, Operations, and external vendors to design, qualify, and ramp the process from concept through production readiness. This will be a 9 month plus contract position.

What You’ll Do..
• Lead the full project to design, install, qualify, and scale in-house pre-penetrant etch capability supporting FPI, including process selection, equipment layout, and material-specific etch recipes (acids/alkalis tailored to alloys such as stainless steels, titanium, aluminum, nickel-based alloys, etc.).  
• Coordinate closely with Facilities on space allocation, ventilation/exhaust systems, containment, utilities, emergency showers/eyewash, and wastewater/treatment infrastructure.  
• Partner with EHS to develop and implement comprehensive safety programs, chemical handling procedures, PPE requirements, exposure controls, spill response, hazardous waste management, and regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, local environmental rules, and relevant aerospace/NDT standards).  
• Manage vendors for equipment, chemicals, process controls, and analytical services; drive RFQs, technical evaluations, installation support, and ongoing supply agreements.  
• Establish process controls including etch-rate monitoring, solution chemistry analysis, temperature control, process control coupons/tabs, statistical process control, and documentation to meet customer, NADCAP, ASTM E1417, NAS 410, and internal quality requirements.  
• Develop and document standard operating procedures, work instructions, training materials, and qualification packages; support personnel certification where applicable.  
• Drive risk assessments (PHA/HAZOP-style), FMEA, and continuous improvement to ensure the process is safe, repeatable, dimensionally controlled, and capable of supporting production volumes.  
• Oversee pilot trials, process qualification, first-article runs, and transition to steady-state operations; troubleshoot chemistry, equipment, and quality issues during ramp-up.  
• Ensure full traceability, dimensional impact control, and integration with upstream machining and downstream FPI workflows.

You have...

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemistry, or related technical field required. Master’s degree preferred.

Experience
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in chemical processing, metal finishing, etching/pickling, or surface preparation processes, with significant time in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability manufacturing environments.  
• Demonstrated success standing up or transferring chemical process lines (etch, clean, or similar wet processes) including facilities integration, EHS compliance, and production ramp.  
• Direct experience with pre-penetrant etch or equivalent controlled material-removal processes supporting NDT/FPI, including etch-rate control, alloy-specific chemistry, and process qualification.  
• Proven track record coordinating cross-functional teams (Facilities, EHS, Quality, Operations, Procurement) and managing external vendors on capital or process installation projects.  
• Experience with regulatory and customer requirements relevant to chemical processing and NDT (e.g., NADCAP AC7108/AC7114, ASTM E1417, NAS 410, AS9100, customer process specs).

Skills & Competencies
• Strong technical knowledge of wet chemical etch processes, solution chemistry control, material compatibility, and dimensional/stock-loss management.  
• Expertise in EHS for hazardous chemicals (acids, corrosives), including engineering controls, PPE, exposure monitoring, emergency systems, and waste handling.  
• Project management capability to drive multi-stakeholder initiatives from concept through production readiness on a contract timeline.  
• Excellent documentation, procedure-writing, and training skills; ability to create clear, auditable process packages.  
• Analytical and problem-solving skills for process troubleshooting, data-driven control (SPC), and continuous improvement.  
• Effective communicator and collaborator across technical, operations, and support functions; comfortable leading meetings and driving accountability.  
• Familiarity with process equipment selection, layout, ventilation design considerations, and vendor technical management.

Nice to have...
• Prior Level II or III NDT experience or working knowledge of FPI process controls and indication interpretation.  
• Experience with specific aerospace OEM etch specifications (e.g., HS7725, RPS series, or equivalent) or NADCAP chemical processing audits.  
• Background in wastewater treatment systems, scrubbers, or closed-loop chemical handling for metal finishing.  
• Lean/Six Sigma or formal project management certification.  
• Experience with electropolishing as an alternative or complementary pre-FPI preparation method.

If this sounds like you, please submit an application with your resume. This could be the opportunity you are looking for to expand your skills, contribute to a winning team, and work with talented people who love what they do and take pride in our mission. 

Beehive Industries offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term disability coverage from day one. We also offer a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match. Every role at Beehive Industries is bonus eligible and will also receive equity in the company.

Beehive Industries is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.