Director of Quality, Additive Manufacturing

About this role

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:

This is a hands-on leadership role for a true AM quality expert. You will own the full qualification lifecycle, from Installation Qualification (IQ) through Operational Qualification (OQ) and Material Qualification (MQ), ensuring Hadrian's processes meet or exceed the requirements of AMS 7003, AMS 7032, NASA-STD-6030/6033, NAVSEA Technical Publications, and prime customer specifications. This role spans multiple AM modalities, including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes, with specific emphasis on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) qualification for U.S. Navy and submarine industrial base applications. You will be responsible for qualification across both PBF-LB and DED; however, deep hands-on expertise in one of these modalities is required, with working knowledge of the other sufficient to provide technical direction and grow into full ownership. You will work cross-functionally with Hadrian's Materials and Process (M&P) team, Applications team, and Systems team to achieve results. In this model, you own the requirement set, including qualification criteria, process control standards, KPV limits, and acceptance specifications, while the M&P, Applications, and Systems teams conduct the implementation. Your deep knowledge of AM process physics, laser and/or arc-based energy sources, feedstock metallurgy, and qualification methodology will be the foundation on which Hadrian builds a scalable, auditable, and production-ready AM operation.

What You’ll Do:

- Cross-Functional Requirements Ownership: Own the AM quality requirement set across Hadrian's operations. Collaborate with the Materials and Process (M&P) team, Applications team, and Systems team to define qualification criteria, process control standards, KPV limits, material acceptance specifications, and documentation requirements. Ensure requirements are clearly communicated and properly implemented through ongoing oversight and compliance verification. Serve as the quality authority during cross-functional reviews, providing technical direction while partner teams execute implementation activities.

- Machine Qualification and Process Validation: Own the end-to-end qualification framework for AM equipment, including IQ, OQ, and MQ. Define qualification requirements, acceptance criteria, and test matrices. Collaborate with the Materials and Process (M&P) team to develop build layouts and qualification plans; M&P executes those plans while this role provides oversight and ensures compliance. Ensure all machines are maintained in a known, calibrated state with active qualification status.

- KPV Management and Process Control: Define and own the requirements for Key Process Variables including laser power, beam caustics (spot size, shape, M2, thermal shift, location of focus), scan field calibration, shielding gas flow, and oxygen content. Collaborate with M&P and Systems teams to establish tolerance bands, measurement frequencies, SPC programs, and process window studies per AMS 7003 and AMS 7032 guidance. Ensure ongoing compliance through oversight and review of KPV data.

- Laser Diagnostics and Beam Characterization: Define requirements and acceptance criteria for all laser power measurement, beam profiling, and caustic measurement activities. Collaborate with M&P to specify beam profiling equipment and define measurement protocols. Provide oversight of measurement execution and interpret results to ensure laser systems are performing within qualified parameters.

- Gas Flow Measurement and Control: Define requirements for gas flow characterization across build platforms, including measurement methods, acceptance criteria, and correlation to part quality. Collaborate with M&P on execution of anemometer-based measurements and flow mapping. Ensure airflow consistency is validated during IQ and monitored through PM.

- DED and WAAM Qualification: Own the qualification framework for Directed Energy Deposition processes, with specific focus on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for U.S. Navy and submarine industrial base applications. Collaborate with M&P to define process control requirements, qualification test plans, and acceptance criteria for DED/WAAM in accordance with NAVSEA Technical Publications, AWS D20.1, and applicable defense standards. Provide oversight of qualification execution and ensure methodology supports NAVSEA technical warrant holder approval for AM production.

- Standards Compliance and Regulatory Readiness: Serve as the subject matter expert on AMS 7003, AMS 7032, NASA-STD-6030, NASA-STD-6033, NAVSEA Technical Publications for PBF and DED, AWS D20.1, and applicable prime customer specifications. Maintain awareness of evolving AM standards from SAE, ASTM, ISO, AWS, and Nadcap. Ensure Hadrian's quality systems and process control documents align with current and anticipated requirements.

- NIAR Qualification Framework, JAQS-SQ, and Navy AM COE Alignment: Stay current with NIAR's work on AM machine qualification, OQ

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