Job Title: Senior R&D; Thermoplastic Manufacturing Engineer (Startup)

Experience:
2–5 years industry experience (or PhD + relevant research)

Education:
Minimum M.
S.(PhD strongly preferred) Department: Advanced Manufacturing / R&D; Reporting To: CTO / VP Engineering / Founder Position Summary We are an early-stage aerospace composites startup developing next-generation thermoplastic composite structures for civil and defence applications. We seek a highly capable R&D; engineer who can convert cutting-edge materials and manufacturing concepts into scalable production-ready processes. This role requires both deep technical knowledge and strong hands-on execution. The candidate must be comfortable working in an unstructured startup environment, moving between laboratory experimentation, process development, tooling design, factory setup, and customer demonstrations.

Key Responsibilities
• Lead development of novel thermoplastic composite manufacturing processes from concept to pilot production.
• Build and optimize manufacturing methods including:
• Thermoforming
• Compression molding
• Stamp forming
• Automated layup
• Induction / resistance welding
• Over-molding and hybrid molding
• Design and execute R&D; experiments using DOE and statistical methods.
• Establish process windows for temperature, pressure, dwell, and cooling cycles.
• Develop methods to reduce defects such as porosity, wrinkles,



incomplete consolidation, and weld failures.
• Work directly with founders to define technology roadmap and IP strategy.
• Evaluate new materials, suppliers, and equipment.
• Support prototype builds and customer demonstrations.
• Help build internal manufacturing labs, process documentation, and SOPs.
• Contribute to patent disclosures, technical publications, and proposal writing. Requirements Required Qualifications
• M.
S. minimum; PhD preferred in engineering or materials science.
• 2–5 years of relevant industrial experience, OR PhD with robust applied research.
• Strong knowledge of thermoplastic composites and polymer processing.
• Hands-on experience with high-performance polymers such as PEEK, PEKK, PPS, and PEI.
• Familiarity with composite testing, microscopy, and failure analysis.
• Strong analytical and experimental mindset. Ideal Startup Candidate Traits
• Builder mentality; comfortable creating systems from scratch
• Highly hands-on in lab/shop environments
• Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration
• Strong ownership mindset
• Can operate independently with minimal supervision
• Strong communication with customers, investors, and technical partners
• Demonstrated ability to build something from zero (lab, process, prototype, tooling, or pilot line)

📌 Senior R&D Thermoplastic Manufacturing Engineer (India)
🏢 AeroDef Nexus Group
📍 India