Applications Engineer

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We're accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Role

Hadrian's Applications Engineering team develops 0-1 machining solutions to supercharge the throughput and capabilities of our Factory. The team focuses on developing novel solutions for CNC programming, workholding, fixturing, tooling, process control, new materials, and machining capabilities.

We are looking for an Applications Engineer to execute our Machining roadmap to scale Hadrian to be multi-factory across the US. You will work closely with Applications Engineering, CAM Operations, Software Engineering, and Robotics to push the boundaries of machining at scale and are looking to add a curious and self-motivated expert to join our already world class team.

Current Technical Challenges

• Autonomous manufacturing workflows that run parts with minimal operator intervention
• Automated metrology, in-process inspection, and closed-loop process control
• Process standards that run across different machine platforms and controllers
• Manufacturing observability and diagnostics: detecting tool wear, process drift, and failures early enough to recover automatically
• Lights-out production of complex aerospace components
• First-part introduction of high-risk, high-complexity components, new part families, and new materials, including high-temp aerospace alloys
• Reducing the engineering effort required to launch a new part, and converting successful one-off processes into reusable production standards
• Deploying proven capabilities from our Los Angeles factory to Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona

What You'll Do

• Develop manufacturing processes for complex aerospace and defense components, including machining strategy, tooling, workholding, probing, and inspection
• Take 0-1 New Product Introduction parts from print to production for new customers, new materials, and new part families
• Build the automation, process control, and software workflows that let production run without constant engineering attention
• Set machine, tooling, and process standards adopted across Hadrian factories
• Diagnose high-impact production failures across process, equipment, software, and operational causes, then change the standard so the failure stays fixed
• Advise as a subject matter expert on tooling, machine selection, workholding, and process engineering across the factory, and contribute that domain knowledge to the software that automates CAM programming
• Work with CAM, CNC Controls, Robotics, Software, Quality, and Operations to integrate manufacturing systems into production
• Support factory launches, machine bring-up, and production stabilization

Your First 12 Months

Focus areas differ across the team. After a year, engineers in this role can typically point to results like:

• New manufacturing capabilities shipped into production
• A standard adopted across multiple machines, cells, or factories
• A previously manual engineering or production workflow that now runs automated
• Measurable reductions in the engineering time required to launch new parts
• Throughput, quality, or reliability improvements on production cells
• A contribution to a factory launch or a major capability deployment

What We're Looking For

• A track record of solving difficult manufacturing problems and building technical systems that hold up in production
• Depth in one or two of these areas, with the judgment to work across the rest: machining, manufacturing engineering, automation, robotics, metrology, simulation, tooling, or software for manufacturing
• Working knowledge of machining fundamentals, including tooling, workholding, GD&T, inspection, and process validation
• The ability to trace a problem across process, equipment, software, and operational causes
• Clear written and verbal communication with machinists, engineers, and factory leadership

What Will Set You Apart

• Multi-axis CNC machining, mill-turn, or production experience with titanium and Inconel
• CAM programming in hyperMILL, NX, Mastercam, or similar platforms
• Macro programming on Heidenhain or Fanuc controllers
• Automated metrology, in-process inspection, statistical process control, load monitoring, or tool life monitoring
• Palletized automation, robotic machine tending, or lights-out production
• Software and data skills applied to manufacturing, such as Python, version control, and production data analysis
• Simulation and modeling, such as cutting dynamics, tap testing, or FEA
• Experience in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, medical, energy, or similarly demanding environments
• Machines, tools, software, or businesses you built on your own initiative

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $130,000 - $220,000 (actual range may vary based on experience).

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

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 organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy .

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company's policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.