Additive Manufacturing Development Engineer

Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.

As an Additive Manufacturing Development Engineer at Freeform, you will play a critical role in the development of our advanced metal 3D printing technology including machine functionality, part quality analysis, print file preparation/generation, and providing DFAM recommendations for some of the world’s largest manufacturers. You will own projects from cradle to grave as a responsible engineer, taking customer designs from concept through printing, testing, and delivery. You will develop a fundamental understanding of the printing factory and will leverage your technical insights to advance system capabilities using a first principles mindset. 

This is a unique opportunity to work alongside and learn from leaders and pioneers in the metal additive manufacturing space to disrupt the industry with our autonomous printing factory technology.  

• →Understand printing system capabilities and roadmap, and work with internal engineering teams (mechanical, electrical, software) to implement solutions that further automate the printing process for high volume production
• →Drive all stages of print production development including design for additive manufacturing (DFAM) feedback, file preparation, printing, post processing, and quality control
• →Analyze in-situ data and post-print part quality to drive continuous improvement
• →Use first-principles thinking to understand problems, define test methods, evaluate solutions, iterate and provide technical recommendations to internal and external stakeholders
• →Document application requirements and objectives, statements of work, standard operating procedures, next steps and action items to align all internal and external team members
• →Interface with external customers to communicate Freeform’s technical capabilities; work with customers on improving Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM)
• →Contribute to Freeform’s internal technology development with feedback from internal and external stakeholders via detailed design and systems level improvements 

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering from an ABET accredited university or college
• Hands on design experience from internships or engineering clubs such as FSAE, Baja SAE, rocket club, robotics club, or similar
• Full life-cycle hardware design experience from hand calcs to CAD to fabrication and testing
• Well-versed in mechanical engineering fundamentals and comfortable taking a first-principles approach to solving problems

• Experience with metal 3D printing
• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering
• Strong academic track record
• Passion for additive manufacturing
• Scrappy, first-principles approach to solving hard problems
• Team-oriented mindset and positive attitude
• Detail oriented with excellent verbal, graphical, and technical communication skills
• DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) or LPBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion) experience
• Process development experience for metal additive manufacturing
• Scripting experience in Matlab (or similar) for toolpath generation
• Experience working with internal and/or external customers
• Mechanical systems design experience 

• Based in Hawthorne, our vertically integrated facility brings technology development, R&D, and production together under one roof. We operate at the center of LA’s deep tech ecosystem, surrounded by some of the most ambitious hardware innovation happening anywhere in the country.

• Our fast-paced, cross-functional environment is built on close collaboration, and as such, this role requires full-time onsite presence (five days a week), with very limited exceptions.