Process Engineer (Frederick)

InventWood is a pioneering materials science company revolutionizing the construction and building materials industry. They've developed SuperWood, a groundbreaking engineered wood product that is stronger, lighter, more durable, and more sustainable than traditional alternatives like steel and concrete. Born out of research at the University of Maryland, they are transforming the possibilities of wood while promoting responsible forest management and reducing carbon emissions. As InventWood scales its commercial production, they are rapidly expanding their engagement with capital markets and institutional investors.

Role summary

The team is seeking an entry-level Process Engineer to keep a close eye on their production process as it scales. This isn't a role focused on designing new processes from scratch — it's about understanding the science behind the existing process and finding ways to drastically improve throughput and quality. You'll spend much of your time administering and evaluating production trials, then launching focused investigations that turn floor observations into engineering knowledge fast.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor the production process day to day: track key process variables, flag deviations from spec, and maintain visibility into how the line is performing.
• Design, set up, and administer production trials to test process changes, new parameters, or troubleshoot performance issues.
• Evaluate trial results: collect and analyze data, compare against baselines and spec, and turn results into clear go/no-go recommendations.
• Document findings, trial protocols, and investigation outcomes so knowledge compounds across the team rather than living in one person's head.
• Partner closely with production operators, manufacturing engineering, and R&D to translate trial learnings into process improvements.
• Help build and refine the data collection and monitoring tools used to keep tabs on the process (SPC charts, dashboards, logs).

Qualifications & experience

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline (chemical, mechanical, materials, industrial, etc.) or a hard science (chemistry, materials science, physics); a strong senior project or research experience in process/manufacturing work can stand in for prior industry experience.
• 0–2 years of relevant experience — co-ops, internships, research labs, or academic projects involving process monitoring, design of experiments, or hands-on testing all count.
• Comfort with data: able to pull, clean, and interpret production data (Excel, Python, JMP, Minitab, or similar) to draw sound conclusions from trial results.
• A structured, curious approach to problem-solving — comfortable forming a hypothesis, designing a test to check it, and following the data wherever it leads.
• Strong written communication skills — you'll be documenting trials and investigations that other people rely on.
• Willingness to be on the production floor regularly; this is an on-site, hands-on role, not a desk job with occasional plant visits.

Physical demands

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50-75% of the time with prolonged periods of standing and operating the equipment.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds multiple times a day and push a heavy cart.
• Must be able to navigate various departments of the organization’s physical premises.
• Must be able to identify and understand visual and audio signals.
• Must be able to maneuver small instruments and tools with precision.
• Must be able to be fitted for and wear a respirator.

What success looks like in the first 6-12 months

• You've built a working knowledge of the process well enough to notice when something is off before it becomes a yield or quality problem.
• You've independently designed and run several production trials end-to-end — protocol, execution, data collection, and a clear write-up of results.
• You've led at least one investigation from something looks wrong to a documented root cause and corrective action.
• The team trusts your data and your judgment on trial results enough to make process decisions based on them.
• You’ve built relationships on the floor, in the lab, and across the organization to ensure alignment, harmony, and shared learnings.

Work environment & logistics

This is a full-time, on-site role based at InventWood's production facility in Frederick, Maryland. Expect to spend a significant portion of each day on the production floor — observing the process, pulling samples, and running trials — balanced with time at a desk analyzing data and writing up findings. As an early-stage startup scaling a novel manufacturing process, the pace is fast, priorities shift as we learn, and this role will have real influence on how the process evolves.