Additive Manufacturing Manager (Thermal Hardware Startup)

An early-stage hardware company, still ahead of its Series A, that builds advanced heat exchangers for data centers is hiring its first person to run metal 3D printing. The hire will set up and lead an in-house print lab and act as the bridge between thermal designers and the people who physically produce the parts.

The work

Build a new metal laser powder bed fusion lab from scratch, from equipment purchasing and commissioning to written operating procedures

Manage a technician responsible for powder logistics and daily machine runs

Pair with thermal engineers on design for additive, reworking big, thin-walled parts with internal channels so they print reliably and quickly

Act as the technical point of contact for an offshore production partner, signing off on process settings and build bundles, and rejecting out-of-tolerance output

Supervise the downstream chain of powder removal, support stripping, thermal processing, CT inspection and pressure and leak checks, and investigate nonconformances until the root cause is found

Reduce build time, expense and scrap rates, and contribute to plans for a future production site

Who thrives here

Hands-on experience with metal LPBF on large-format, multi-laser machines

A proven history of commissioning a metal 3D printing cell or small workshop, including powder handling and safety

Practical design-for-additive experience that improved yield, weight, cycle time or cost

Experience holding outside manufacturers or service bureaus to specification

Degree in mechanical, materials or manufacturing engineering, or similar

Willingness to make one or two international factory trips a year and take occasional early or late calls

Hybrid in the Washington, DC area, with two to three on-site days a week at the lab. Visa transfers considered in select cases; competitive equity included.