Paint Engineer

Job description

HADRIAN - MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost. Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built. Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen. If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for. The Role As Paint Engineer, you will own the end-to-end industrialization of Hadrian's coating line in Los Angeles — from prep, blasting, wet paint, and powder through cure, specialty coatings, inspection, and buy-off. You are the accountable owner of the facility's fire and life-safety compliance posture, lead equipment specification and vendor selection for the turnkey coating process, and select and train the cross-functional team that will run the line after launch. This role is on-site in Los Angeles throughout specification and design, and full-time on the floor through installation, commissioning, and launch.   What You’ll Do - Own facility fire and life-safety compliance for the coating line under NFPA 33, 86, 70 (NEC), 30/30B and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.107, .94, .146, and .134, and drive AHJ (fire marshal) coordination, permitting, and fire-protection system acceptance - Lead functional specification, vendor RFQ/evaluation, and Site/Factory Acceptance Testing for coating, cure, ventilation, and fire-suppression/detection equipment, making build-vs-buy calls with the integrator and OEMs - Define process windows, qualify equipment, and write and validate work instructions across prep, blasting, wet paint, powder, cure, and specialty coating steps - Select and stand up the coating line's support team, define the operator training and certification matrix, and execute train-the-trainer so production and maintenance fully own the line post-launch - Solve yield and throughput issues during process maturation and formally hand the line to production What We're Looking For - Hands-on aerospace/defense MRO coatings experience: MIL-SPEC/CARC and AMS-spec coatings, corrosion control, surface prep and stripping, masking, first-article inspection, and full documentation/traceability - Proven, applied experience with NFPA 33/86/70/30/409 and OSHA 1910 as they apply to paint operations — hazard classification, ventilation and interlock design review, and AHJ coordination and permitting - Track record writing equipment specifications, managing vendor selection, and running factory/customer acceptance programs - Experience standing up teams via train-the-trainer, with the ability to operate autonomously across code compliance, equipment engineering, and cross-functional coordination - Comfort working on the shop floor daily alongside equipment engineering, commissioning, troubleshooting, and inspection activities What Will Set You Apart - Experience launching a paint, powder, or mixed-coatings line from facility bring-up through steady-state production in a defense, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing environment - NADCAP and/or AS9100 quality-system exposure - PLC/controls fluency sufficient to review interlock and SCADA logic directly with controls engineers - Direct experience negotiating fire-protection or insurance-carrier acceptance requirements with an AHJ - History of building and certifying trainers who went on to independently run the line 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 - Equity   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.   USE OF AI IN HIRING Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organi