Department of Chemistry

Search

FourSquare

Additive Manufacturing Engineer of High Performance Polymers - UNC Chapel Hill

We’re looking for: A Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in an engineering field with extensive experience working with SLS.

About us: BlueSky Polymers is an early-stage UNC-based startup developing new chemistries for the additive manufacturing of high-performance polymers. These materials are used across heavy industry, including aerospace, automotive, and energy. Our team is small and agile and composed of successful serial entrepreneurs and world-class experts in 3D printing and high-performance polymers. This is a unique opportunity to lead in the development of technologies that will change the landscape of 3D printing, manufacturing, and the industries they serve.

About you: In addition to your degree, if you have experience working with the SLS process to build real parts and prototypes that’s a major plus. If you have FDM experience and/or working knowledge of step growth chemistry, that’s a plus as well. But as a baseline, you understand 3D printing deeply, both in terms of the chemistry of the polymers involved and the physical process of forming objects. You have worked with polyamides and produced test specimens and complex geometries. You’ve analyzed these prints using polymer thermomechanical characterization methods and are familiar with the tools and standards required to do so. You’re comfortable in an interdisciplinary team and working towards the development and printing of novel polymer systems. You can give actionable insights on test results that elucidate shortfalls in material performance and handling and suggest opportunities for improvement. You can speak with customers and are comfortable working directly with Fortune 500s on their engineering challenges.

Duties: Day-to-day you will be printing prototypes and test specimens and using characterization tools including thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, rheology and tensile testing. You will interface closely with the chemistry team to diagnose processing challenges, issues with mechanical performance, and form a positive feedback loop that leads to better chemistries and better printing. You will collaborate closely with chemists and physical chemists with experience in printing, polymer processing, and polymer scale-up and help guide their Design of Experiment work towards meaningful benchmarks. You will also work alongside the business team to educate customers on current performance and potential of materials in development.

Qualifications: A Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in an engineering field, experience with SLS printing. Pluses: industry experience, FDM experience, knowledge of step-growth chemistry.

Salary: Competitive; commensurate with experience.
Location: UNC Chapel Hill, Department of Applied Physical Sciences
Email CV to: careers@blueskypolymers.com