Technical Advisor - Materials Engineer, Air-Launched Hypersonics Eglin AFB (near Destin/Fort Walton Beach)

Company Description: MACH-20 is a rapidly growing defense-focused technology advisory firm founded in 2019 with a mission to drive confidence into the battlespace. The team brings many centuries of combined experience in materials, manufacturing, systems engineering, and advanced technology R&D supporting critical U.S. Department of Defense operations. The company’s culture is grounded in core values of Integrity, Persistence, Adaptability, and Innovation, emphasizing respect for people, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement. MACH-20 partners with a diverse range of DoD agencies to help usher in cutting-edge technologies that enable today’s and tomorrow’s warfighters. The organization offers a collaborative environment for technical and strategic advisors who seek meaningful impact in national defense. Location: Eglin AFB, FL (near Destin/Fort Walton Beach) with ability to travel 25%-50% Experience: 10+ years supporting aerospace materials qualification, structural integration, non-destructive inspection, and materials operational service performance within DoD or related defense aerospace environments Clearance: U.S. Citizenship required. Secret clearance required. Active clearance (TS/SCI) preferred. Position Description: MACH-20 is seeking an accomplished and mission-driven Materials Engineer to provide Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) and advisory support to a high-priority Air Force Air-Launched Hypersonics program. In this role, you will serve as a trusted technical advisor embedded within the government program office, supporting an enterprise leveraging advanced high-temperature structural systems, thermal protection materials, and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. As a SETA advisory contractor, you will operate as an objective subject matter expert—evaluating prime contractor engineering data, monitoring advanced manufacturing and qualification campaigns, reviewing failure investigations, and assessing metallurgy, advanced composites, and environmental durability. While this position does not entail direct hands-on hardware design ownership, it requires significant technical depth and critical analysis to evaluate contractor deliverables, verify compliance with MIL-STDs and airworthiness standards, and ensure the hypersonic system meets stringent performance, quality, and lifecycle requirements. Key Responsibilities Materials & Process Evaluation: Provide independent technical evaluation of aerospace alloys, refractory metals, polymer and ceramic matrix composites (PMCs/CMCs), carbon-carbon systems, and high-temperature adhesives utilized across the hypersonic vehicle airframe, leading edges, control surfaces, and internal payload subassemblies. Technical Document & Design Review: Critically review prime contractor engineering drawings, Material and Process (M&P) specifications, qualification test plans, and Material Qualification Packages. Actively participate in major program milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, PRR) to identify material capability gaps, producibility risks, and environmental limits. Failure Analysis & Root Cause Investigation: Coordinate and support comprehensive failure analyses for developmental test articles, ground tests, and fabrication anomalies. Interface with government and contractor laboratories to evaluate fractography, metallographic mounts, and mechanical/thermal characterization data, driving robust root cause identification and corrective action tracking. Corrosion Prevention & Environmental Protection: Oversee execution of the program’s Corrosion Prevention and Control Plan (CPCP). Evaluate protective coating architectures, anodizing, thermal barrier coatings, surface treatments, and sealant systems designed to withstand harsh captive-carry, storage, high-humidity coastal environments, and operational flight conditions. Manufacturing Process Oversight: Assess and monitor advanced manufacturing workflows, such as autoclave and out-of-autoclave composite curi…

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