Sr. Staff Powder Factory Systems Engineer

About Us

Founded in 2015 to develop the world’s first industrially scalable laser metal additive manufacturing solution, VulcanForms is reshaping how the world manufactures critical products. We build and operate advanced digital infrastructure that enables innovation, accelerates growth, and supports sustainability across aerospace, defense, medical, and other essential industries. Through our vertically integrated capabilities, including scalable additive manufacturing and precision machining, we deliver true end-to-end production at scale by combining cutting-edge technology with a foundation of proven industrial craftsmanship. Our team brings deep expertise in manufacturing, materials science, software, automation, and operations, united by a shared commitment to quality, curiosity, and accountability. We foster an inclusive culture where people take ownership, solve meaningful problems, and continuously learn, because we believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes.

Job Purpose

Architect, standardize, and scale VulcanForms’ powder production and factory systems by designing end-to-end powder handling, transfer, and safety architectures that enable safe, high-throughput, and cost-effective metal powder manufacturing at industrial scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the end-to-end architecture for powder transfer, handling, and storage systems across large-scale metal powder production facilities, from atomizer discharge through classification, storage, and packaging.
• Establish technical standards and design principles for powder flow performance, contamination control, segregation mitigation, safety, and throughput across VulcanForms’ powder ecosystem.
• Lead system-level engineering of powder production subsystems, including atomizer interfaces, catchment, classification, filtration, conveying, and collection architectures, with a focus on scalability and reliability.
• Own safety-critical system design for combustible metal dust environments, including inerting strategies, dust collection, explosion mitigation, interlocks, and regulatory compliance.
• Drive factory-level productivity by identifying bottlenecks, defining material-flow architectures, and engineering solutions that improve uptime, yield, ergonomics, and operational robustness.
• Provide technical leadership through equipment selection, vendor partnerships, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and plant startup, ensuring designs perform as intended in production.
• Establish reusable design frameworks, documentation, and best practices that enable consistent deployment across current and future VulcanForms facilities.
  
  

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience designing and delivering industrial process, factory, or materials-handling systems in production environments.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex, safety-critical systems from concept through commissioning and sustained operation.
• Deep experience with powder or bulk solids handling systems, including conveying, classification, containment, and contamination control.
• Proven ability to lead system-level design decisions, balance competing requirements, and set technical direction across multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong background in hazard analysis and risk mitigation, with experience applying methods such as FMEA, or DHA to industrial systems.
• Track record of collaborating across engineering, operations, safety, quality, and facilities organizations to deliver production-ready systems.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience designing, operating, or scaling metal powder atomization systems, including EIGA (Electrode Induction Gas Atomization) and/or VIGA (Vacuum Induction Gas Atomization).
• Hands-on experience working with reactive metal powders (e.g., titanium and titanium alloys), including inert gas handling, contamination control, and powder safety considerations.
• Experience engineering powder handling and transfer systems specifically for reactive or combustible metal dust environments, from atomizer discharge through packaging. Hands-on familiarity with combustible metal dust mitigation standards (e.g., NFPA 484, NFPA 652, OSHA).
• Familiarity with scaling powder production capacity while maintaining powder quality, yield, and safety margins.
• Experience deploying and scaling powder production or handling systems across multiple production lines or facilities.
• Proficiency creating and reviewing PFDs, P&IDs, material-flow models, and factory layout concepts.
  
  

VulcanForms offers a competitive salary and equity package. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, VulcanForms provides comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; generous paid time off; and a 401(k) plan with company match.

The annual base salary range for this position is $147,000 to $203,000.