We are seeking a hard-working and versatile candidate to help accelerate the commercial adoption of Alloy’s novel manufacturing process. This strategic role will be instrumental in driving technical excellence, innovation, and customer success within our applications engineering department. The Director of Applications Engineering will lead a talented team of engineers and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver additive manufacturing solutions that meet and exceed customer expectations. This is an opportunity to be the link between the production and engineering teams and our customers. Strong communication, flexibility, and the desire to “wear many hats'' will all be essential skills for any successful applicant. You will be joining a team of startup veterans who are no strangers to hard tech.

What You'll Do

In this role, the primary functions will be:

• Build, lead, mentor, and inspire the applications engineering team, fostering a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Design and additively manufacture parts to demonstrate and highlight Alloy’s capabilities.
• Become a technical expert in Alloy’s process and lead customer part qualification efforts
• Collaborate with the Engineering Team to drive process improvements and serve the evolving needs of our customers
• Interface with the Sales Team and Customers to explain Alloy’s capabilities and provide feedback on customer designs
• Communicate with the Production Team to ensure customer requirements and timing are met
• Work closely with Product to prioritize new features that expand our capabilities and marketability
• Become an expert in our proprietary software, and interface with the software team to further optimize internal software platforms used in our digital manufacturing system
• Create processes to streamline Applications Engineering processes for design reviews, [ how to describe slicing, preparing parts to be manufactured], and part qualifications
• Aggregate design guidelines and provide them to the Process Engineering team.
• Align the applications engineering team's goals with the company's strategic objectives, driving innovation and growth.
• Work closely with customers to understand their unique needs, address technical challenges, and develop tailored additive manufacturing solutions.
• Oversee the design and optimization of components using additive manufacturing techniques, ensuring performance, efficiency, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and R&D teams to provide technical expertise for business development, customer engagement, and product innovation.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, cost reduction, and enhanced quality control within the additive manufacturing workflow.
• Stay updated with industry trends, technological advancements, and market developments to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
• Develop and nurture strategic partnerships with customers, suppliers, and research institutions to drive continuous improvement and industry leadership.

What You'll Bring

We are looking for someone who has experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field. A Ph.D. is a plus.
• 3+ years of management experience in an Applications Engineering environment with a track record of leadership and technical expertise.
• 5+ years prior experience in mechanical design, applications, or technical sales
• You have a passion for design and an interest in how things are made and why
• You take ownership of your projects - complete tasks efficiently and effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Prior use of software tools: git, jira, Linux, Python
• Deep understanding of various manufacturing processes, materials, and their applications across industries: CNC machining, casting, forging, sheet metal, and 3D printing
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate, mentor, and lead cross-functional teams to success.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, business acumen, and the ability to align technical decisions with company goals.
• Excellent communication skills to interact effectively with customers, internal teams, and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in CAD software and simulation tools.
• Experience with project management, process optimization, and quality control in a manufacturing context.
• A strong portfolio of successful projects and case studies showcasing your contributions.

Additional Requirements

This position will require access to information subject to control under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). Please note that any offer for employment will be conditioned on authorization to receive controlled items without sponsorship for an export license.

Benefits

• Flexible paid time off, nine company holidays, and a shutdown around the holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision, including dependency coverage
• 401k with 3% employer contribution, options for pre or post-tax
• Stock options
• All employees are eligible for paid parental leave regardless of gender identity or expression
• Career advancement opportunities in a high-growth environment
• Good coffee, regular happy hours, and weekly team lunches

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a team that reflects the diversity of the people we hope to serve with our products. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

About Us

Alloy Enterprises is transforming how aluminum parts are made. Aluminum will be part of the electrification journey of everything that moves, and flexible, on-demand, and cost-competitive fabrication will be essential to this transition. Automotive, aerospace, and industrial equipment need to be lighter, and fabrication methods need to keep pace with the speed of innovative new designs. Our novel, scalable, full-stack additive manufacturing process disrupts the multi-year lead time, process limitations, and high up-front cost of aluminum casting.

“Alloy Enterprises is fundamentally transforming aluminum manufacturing for transportation, much like Carnegie Steel did for railroad, 100 years ago. Now is the time for us to bring scalable additive aluminum manufacturing to mass production and accelerate our society’s ability to electrify everything that moves.” - Alison Forsyth, CEO

Founded in early 2020, the company has raised $38M to date and is generating revenue with our pilot manufacturing facility. For the first time, on-demand fabrication meets the cost and scale of casting in an exploding $102B market – largely driven by electrification. We are now building out our team and our production fab facilities to meet customer demand. If you are a sleeve-rolling builder who sets their bar high and enjoys thinking out loud in a collaborative and inclusive working environment, we’d love to hear from you.