Process Development Engineer

About the role

Lydian is creating sustainable fuel from waste CO2, water, and renewable electricity to decarbonize aviation. You will lead the transition of ceramic production from external vendors to an internal, automated, and scalable workflow.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Execute manual ceramic production workflows, including material preparation, joining, and high-temperature thermal processing.
• Manage the migration of production processes from outside suppliers to internal operations.
• Design, fabricate, and commission mechanical test stands and tooling using CAD and hands-on shop skills.
• Develop and implement automation for process equipment and data collection.
• Establish long-term production parameters, standard operating procedures, and quality control metrics.
• Perform root-cause analysis on defects to improve yield and reliability.
• Oversee inventory management, equipment calibration, and technical documentation.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Materials, Chemical, or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in manufacturing, hardware development, or process engineering.
• Proven track record of taking hardware from initial CAD design through physical fabrication and commissioning.
• Experience moving processes from R&D or vendor-based models into internal production.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD and 2D technical drawing.
• Willingness to perform manual production tasks on the shop floor for the first 6 to 12 months.
• Strong documentation skills for experimental execution and technical reporting.

Nice to have

• Background in high-temperature materials like ceramics, superalloys, or refractory coatings.
• Expertise in joining methods such as brazing, bonding, or diffusion joining.
• Experience with high-temperature vacuum or furnace systems.
• Programming skills in Python or LabVIEW for hardware automation and data acquisition.
• Proficiency with PLCs, sensors, motion control, or materials characterization techniques.
• Hands-on fabrication experience including CNC machining, welding, or 3D printing.

Skills & tools

• 3D CAD
• 2D Technical Drawing
• Mechanical Fabrication
• Process Automation
• Root Cause Analysis
• Technical Documentation

Practical notes

• Benefits include 100% coverage of healthcare, vision, and dental premiums for employees and 80% for dependents.
• The package includes a 401(k) with company match and generous PTO.