Senior R&D Thermoplastic Manufacturing Engineer (Startup) in Bangalore, भारत

Job Title: Senior R&D Thermoplastic Manufacturing Engineer (Startup)

Experience: 2–5 years industry experience (or PhD + relevant research)

Education: Minimum M.S.(PhD strongly preferred)

Department: Advanced Manufacturing / R&D

Reporting To: CTO / VP Engineering / Founder

Position Summary

We are an early-stage aerospace composites startup developing next-generation thermoplastic composite structures for civil and defence applications. We seek a highly capable R&D engineer who can convert cutting-edge materials and manufacturing concepts into scalable production-ready processes.

This role requires both deep technical knowledge and strong hands-on execution. The candidate must be comfortable working in an unstructured startup environment, moving between laboratory experimentation, process development, tooling design, factory setup, and customer demonstrations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead development of novel thermoplastic composite manufacturing processes from concept to pilot production.
  
• Build and optimize manufacturing methods including:
  
• Thermoforming
  
• Compression molding
  
• Stamp forming
  
• Automated layup
  
• Induction / resistance welding
  
• Over-molding and hybrid molding
  
• Design and execute R&D experiments using DOE and statistical methods.
  
• Establish process windows for temperature, pressure, dwell, and cooling cycles.
  
• Develop methods to reduce defects such as porosity, wrinkles, incomplete consolidation, and weld failures.
  
• Work directly with founders to define technology roadmap and IP strategy.
  
• Evaluate new materials, suppliers, and equipment.
  
• Support prototype builds and customer demonstrations.
  
• Help build internal manufacturing labs, process documentation, and SOPs.
  
• Contribute to patent disclosures, technical publications, and proposal writing.
  

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• M.S. minimum; PhD preferred in engineering or materials science.
  
• 2–5 years of relevant industrial experience, OR PhD with strong applied research.
  
• Strong knowledge of thermoplastic composites and polymer processing.
  
• Hands-on experience with high-performance polymers such as PEEK, PEKK, PPS, and PEI.
  
• Familiarity with composite testing, microscopy, and failure analysis.
  
• Strong analytical and experimental mindset.
  

Ideal Startup Candidate Traits

• Builder mentality; comfortable creating systems from scratch
  
• Highly hands-on in lab/shop environments
  
• Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration
  
• Strong ownership mindset
  
• Can operate independently with minimal supervision
  
• Strong communication with customers, investors, and technical partners
  
• Demonstrated ability to build something from zero (lab, process, prototype, tooling, or pilot line)