Position Description

POSITION REQUIREMENTS
• The Engineer will have the responsibility of working with and leading activities within the Inorganic Surface Treatments and Finishes team for Company Research and Technology (BR&T) Materials and Manufacturing Technology (MMT) Chemical Technology team.
• Though the physical position is in Huntsville AL, the engineer will be responsible for activities globally, including performing on the Internal Research and Design (IRAD) portfolio from New Business Funds (NBF) for alternative electro-plating and electro-less plating relation to the Next generation Hex Chrome replacement finishes, Cadmium replacement finishes, and the use of more environmentally safe chemicals (e.g.. alternatives to the use of Boric Acid, Hydro Fluoric acid) in the finishing processes. This will involve oversite, technical coordination with BR&T India, and possibly BR&T China, and Global suppliers.
• This requires an in-depth knowledge in the science of electro-finishing and hands-on applications in industry (large tanks) and small tank research. The effort will include technical coordination with strategic stakeholders and partners for developing alternative metal surface finish chemistries and finishing processes, leveraging and coordinating with industry & other Sr. Finishing experts within Company. The Engineer will support Company Commercial Airlines (BCA) Product Development (PD) alternatives and BCA and Company Defense and Space Systems (BDS) emergent manufacturing issue resolution activities. Most of the work is supported through the operation, maintenance, and retrofitting of a current finishing line in Huntsville AL made up of 32 - 100 gallon tanks, covering several of Company standards (plating, anodizing, conversion coating, deoxidizer, etchants, etc.) and for new chemistries, as well as a small Barrel Plating line of 20 gallon tanks.
• The Engineer will be a key participant in the future vision for alternative products, the forecasting and planning of the work to justify future funding, including cooperative funding (CRAD – Contract Research and Development and CRADA – Cooperative Research and Development Agreement). This will include working with Principal Investigators (Company Research Engineers) to establish the needed budget for current and future years, the resource and schedule planning for achieving the goals, working with internal Company stakeholders (e.g. the BCA programs such as 737, 777, 787, Defense platforms) and external stakeholders (NAVAIR, Army Research Lab, Navy Research Lab, NASA, Small business strategic partners) for the deliverables and commitment dates, as well as the potential transition of new technology such as Technical Readiness/Manufacturing Readiness Level 6 to pre-Product Development and then to Manufacturing.