Composite Testing Engineer

Role details

Description:

Tangent Materials is seeking a Composite Testing Engineer to support the development, testing, characterization, and performance evaluation of thermoplastic composite materials and structural products. This role focuses on mechanical characterization, long-term strength and structural performance, fatigue behavior, shear performance, strain and deformation analysis, failure mechanisms, and the development of testing methods that correlate laboratory material properties with actual product performance.

The engineer works closely with R&D, manufacturing, quality, and product development teams to evaluate materials and processes, develop testing programs, investigate failures, and provide technical recommendations based on experimental data.

Requirements:

Roles and Responsibilities

• Design, coordinate, and conduct laboratory testing and characterization of thermoplastic composite materials and structural products.
• Evaluate short-term and long-term mechanical performance, including strength, stiffness, fatigue, creep, durability, CLTE, and long-term strength retention.
• Perform mechanical characterization including tensile, compression, flexural, shear, interlaminar shear, and other material- or structural-level testing as required.
• Perform strain and deformation measurements using strain gauges, extensometers, and other experimental measurement techniques.
• Evaluate the relationship between material composition, processing conditions, specimen geometry, testing conditions, and mechanical performance.
• Develop and modify laboratory test methods when existing standards do not adequately represent actual product loading, geometry, or service conditions.
• Apply relevant ASTM, ISO, and other industry testing standards while understanding their applicability and limitations for thermoplastic composite materials and products.
• Conduct failure analysis and root-cause investigations using mechanical testing, strain analysis, microscopy, visual inspection, and other characterization methods.
• Provide technical support to R&D, manufacturing, quality, and product development teams regarding material selection, processing, testing, durability, and product performance.

Required skills/abilities

• Hands-on experience with thermoplastic/thermoset polymers and/or fiber-reinforced composites.
• Strong hands-on experience conducting mechanical and structural testing, including tensile, compression, flexural, shear, fatigue, creep, durability, and long-term performance testing.
• Experience with experimental strain and deformation measurement techniques, including strain gauges, extensometers, and data acquisition systems.
• Ability to analyze load-displacement, stress-strain, strain distribution, stiffness, deformation, fatigue behavior, and structural response from experimental data.
• Knowledge of composite material behavior and failure mechanisms, including shear-related, matrix-dominated, interfacial, and delamination failure modes.
• Experience designing and conducting coupon-level, component-level, and/or full-scale structural testing and correlating material-level properties with product performance.
• Familiarity with ASTM, ISO, or other relevant material and structural testing standards and their applications.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to independently investigate material and product performance issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with R&D, manufacturing, quality, and product development teams.

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Composite Materials, or a related engineering or science discipline required.

physical requirements

• Ability to work safely in laboratory and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to safely operate and work around mechanical and structural testing equipment and laboratory instrumentation.
• Ability to lift and carry materials, specimens, fixtures, or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to stand, bend, reach, and perform hands-on laboratory activities as required for material preparation and testing.