Product Engineer

About the Company Foundation Alloy is building the most advanced metal alloy company in the world. Our mission is to unlock performance that legacy materials and processes simply cannot deliver, enabling the next generation of critical hardware across space, aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial applications. Our proprietary MetalsFIRST™ platform eliminates melting entirely, using mechanical alloying and rapid sintering to produce alloys with ultra-fine grain structures and exceptional properties. We are already deploying initial materials, including our Molyclast™ alloys (MC700, MC1200, and MC-X) and specialty steels. We are a Boston-area company commercializing deep materials science developed at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and frontier materials science. We move fast, operate with high technical rigor, and are scaling the infrastructure to bring these materials into production. Currently in the process of relocating from Cambridge, MA to Woburn, MA by early next year.

What you'll be working on: As our Product Engineer, you will sit at the critical link that transforms novel alloy breakthroughs into manufacturable, reproducible, and market-ready products with a focus on hands-on testing and characterization within the Product Department.

• Own post-testing failure analysis of customer tests, determining root cause and translating findings into actionable feedback for the product and R&D teams.
• Design and build custom tests, rigs, and proxy methods that let us creatively and rigorously measure how our products perform under complex, real-world operational conditions.
• Work with external labs on standard and specialized testing, including high temperature properties, wear, fatigue, oxidation, corrosion, DBTT, Gleeble, and spectroscopic analysis by vetting lab partners and arranging quotations, testing conditions, and timelines.
• Maintain detailed, organized documentation of test data by alloy and product for the whole organization.
• Own calibration and maintenance of internal testing equipment, implement best practices in obtaining accurate measurements.
• Author and maintain material datasheets, characterization procedures, and technical documentation for all alloy product lines.
• Partner with other product engineers and scientists to determine testing needs and design custom tests.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD degree in materials science, mechanical engineering or a related field.
• 2+ years of industry experience in metallurgy, materials engineering, or a related discipline, with demonstrated involvement in process and product development, testing, and characterization.
• Familiarity with alloy processing techniques such as powder metallurgy, heat treatment, or additive manufacturing relevant to demanding applications.
• Familiarity with powder characterization and material property measurements including mechanical, electrical, magnetic and chemical characterization.
• Proven ability to develop quality assurance frameworks, write material specifications, and establish characterization test procedures.
• Systematic, detail-oriented approach to problem-solving and process development.
• Collaborative team player who works effectively across R&D, manufacturing, and commercial functions.
• Comfortable operating with ownership and initiative in a fast-paced, resource-constrained start-up environment.
• Strong technical writing skills — able to produce clear, organized documentation including datasheets, SOPs, and process specifications.

Culture We don’t look for profiles that “fit” with our culture. We look for people that add to who we are - people with the initiative, positive approach to problem solving, and passion for something (anything!) that will make them both high impact and exciting to work alongside from day one. We know that these people come from all walks of life, with all backgrounds and levels of experience. If you’re excited about the work we can do together, please reach out. We enthusiastically welcome team members of all races, colors, religions, ages, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, national origins, different abilities, genetics, veteran statuses, and former incarceration statuses.

Compensation and Benefits The success of this company will be grounded in the long-term productivity of our team. To provide everyone with the physical, mental and financial safety to operate at their long-term best, we provide the following:

• Meaningful, challenging, impactful work, and opportunities to grow within the company at all levels
• Competitive salary, guaranteed to rise with inflation at a minimum each year
• Equity - People at every level will have an impact, and should benefit from their work
• Unlimited paid vacation, with a very strong expectation that employees take a minimum of 15 days off per year, and a full week off at least once per year
• Flexible working style. Most jobs will require people to be present in person or in office most of the time, but in general we care about what’s getting done, not when or where you’re doing it
• Top tier health, dental and vision insurance with limited employee contributions
• A voice in future benefits. This is the beginning, and we will work together to keep adding new, better ways to provide for everyone in the company