Towpreg Engineer

The Towpreg Engineer brings deep composites and materials expertise to the Texas plant, serving as the technical owner of the towpreg production process and the primary resource for troubleshooting, process development, and capability building. About Blackwave Blackwave designs, manufactures and ships flight‑qualified, commercial off‑the‑shelf composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for launch vehicles and satellites. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company delivers COPVs from a standardized portfolio with flight heritage. The approach reduces lead time from months to days while ensuring that each tank is qualified and flight‑ready. Blackwave's mission is to end COPV failure in spaceflight. The company employs more than 150 people across manufacturing facilities in Germany and Texas. Role Mission The mission of the Towpreg Engineer is to establish and maintain a stable, high‑quality towpreg production process at the Texas plant. The role owns the towpreg technology end‑to‑end — from daily production support and troubleshooting to process development and team upskilling — ensuring consistent output, reduced scrap, and continuous improvement of the impregnation and processing workflows. Key Responsibilities Serve as the engineer of record for all towpreg production processes and technology on‑site Troubleshoot and resolve production issues to maintain stable and consistent operations Develop and improve towpreg production processes to increase output and reduce scrap Define, document, and maintain process parameters, work instructions, and quality standards Support day‑to‑day production operations with hands‑on technical presence Train and build towpreg process knowledge within the Texas manufacturing team Identify root causes of process deviations and drive corrective and preventive actions Coordinate with the Team in Germany to bring the process expertise to Texas Coordinate with production, quality, and operations teams to ensure smooth execution Contribute to the introduction of new materials, processes, or product variants Competencies Technical Know‑How Degree in Materials Science, Composite Engineering, or equivalent technical field Experience with resin and fibre systems and their processing characteristics Hands‑on experience with composite manufacturing processes, especially impregnation processes Towpreg process experience (nice to have) Knowledge of industrial‑scale manufacturing processes (nice to have) Textiles processing experience (nice to have) Leadership and Professional Skills Takes initiative and jumps into problems independently, without waiting to be directed Comfortable operating at pace in a fast‑moving, hands‑on production environment Genuinely motivated to improve production processes — not just maintain them Production‑oriented mindset: prioritizes what works on the floor over theoretical solutions Strong team player with clear, direct communication skills Structured problem‑solver who follows issues through to resolution Required Qualifications Education and Experience Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Composite Engineering, or equivalent technical field Several years of hands‑on experience in composites manufacturing, with a focus on resin systems, fibre processing, or impregnation processes Proven experience in a process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or materials engineering role Experience working in structured, process‑driven production environments Language Skills English is required Spanish or German are a plus Work Model On‑site work is mandatory Willingness to work closely with equipment and production teams on a daily basis Work closely with colleagues in Germany Our current facility is located in Lockhart, Texas (near Austin/San Antonio) In mid‑2026, Blackwave will relocate to a new site in the Port San Antonio aerospace hub Equal Opportunity Employer Blackwave Texas Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law. ITAR Requirement This position requires eligibility under U.S. export regulations (ITAR). Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or otherwise authorized to access export‑controlled information. #J-18808-Ljbffr Blackwave