Director of Engineering

TAF Carbon has an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about engineering and sustainability and eager to be part of an innovative company that's on a journey to transform the world's materials.

We are seeking a Director of Engineering who has lived the journey from lab bench to production floor, to join our team working directly with the Director of Research and Development and the leadership team. You will lead our Process Scale-Up & Manufacturing effort, bridging between our world-class R&D scientists and the industrial manufacturing partners who will bring our carbon foam materials to commercial scale. This is a hands-on, technically deep leadership role for someone who finds equal satisfaction in rigorous process analysis and in building the systems and relationships that make manufacturing actually work. This role grows with the company. Near-term, you will be driving industrialization and process control. Over time, you will contribute to new product development from the process and tooling side, and to the early foundations of TAF Carbon's own manufacturing capabilities.

This role is part of the team that services the entire Endeavour ecosystem and contributes to the overall health and success of the organization.

The Director of Engineering needs to be agile, professional, and comfortable in a rapidly changing environment. The right person is trustworthy with confidential information, highly organized, self-motivated, has excellent communication skills, can think strategically, and works equally as well independently as with a team. They are a born problem solver and highly self-motivated to identify and address engineering challenges.

TAF Carbon is highly selective about the people we bring on board because our ecosystem depends on it. Change happens quickly here, and we must maintain a strong team of honest, communicative, collaborative, open-minded, strategic, reliable, and driven team members. We seek ultra-creative performers with self-awareness, a sense of humility, and a hunger to make a positive impact in the world. Endeavour offers flexibility and endless growth opportunities to those who can harness their skills and talents and identify how and where to use them to add value. Our team is the heart of the ecosystem. We're a diverse group of bright, passionate, dedicated people, working together to make a real difference. Are you ready to join the journey?
Key Responsibilities
Include but are not limited to:

Process Scale-Up & Industrialization

• Lead the translation of laboratory and pilot-scale carbon foam processes into robust, reproducible industrial manufacturing operations to take our material through testing and certification, prototyping, and product commercial launch.
• Hands-on engineering and problem solving in a fast-growing start-up environment.
• Define and implement process control and improvement frameworks - including 6 Sigma, SPC and MSA - that establish and sustain process capability across manufacturing environments.
• Drive continuous improvement in process efficiency, energy performance, heating uniformity, cost of goods and time to market.
• Develop and evaluate innovative approaches to mold design, heating technology, and process configuration that enable scalable, high-throughput production.
• Establish and maintain high engineering standards, including documentation, design review processes, and technical governance

Manufacturing Partner Development

• Identify, qualify, and develop long-term technical relationships with external manufacturing partners.
• Serve as TAF Carbon's primary technical interface with manufacturing operations, ensuring alignment on process requirements, quality standards, and scale-up milestones.
• Collaborate with R&D teammates to translate research outcomes into manufacturable processes and clear manufacturing inputs, streamlined processes, to reduce time to market.

Team & Organization

• Mentor and grow a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and pragmatic problem-solving.
• Support project planning, prioritization, and budgeting in alignment with organizational goals and timelines.
• Partner with leadership on strategic product and manufacturing roadmaps across all phases of commercial development.
• Model culture of demanding excellence, scientific rigor, problem solving and a daily irreverence to big company corporate culture.

Longer-Term

• Lead engineering contributions to new product development and cost reduction from the process and tooling side.
• Contribute to early planning and capability-building for TAF Carbon's future manufacturing assets.
• Develop and maintain strong customer relationships, supporting tailored product solutions and long-term partnerships.

Skills & Requirements
Education / Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering (or related field).
• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in industry with 3+ years in a leadership or management role.
• Demonstrated track record taking a material or chemical process from lab or pilot scale to industrial production - you have done this, not just supported it.
• Deep working knowledge of foamed materials and the industrial processes used to make them: polymer foams, carbon foams, ceramic foams, or closely analogous materials.
• Hands-on experience with mold design and molding processes, including thermal analysis, dead mass minimization, and scale-up.
• Experience designing or improving industrial heating systems - convective, or other non-conventional approaches are a strong plus.
• Experience working with toll manufacturers or contract manufacturers as a technical owner, not just a customer.
• Proven expertise in Statistical Process Control (SPC), Measurement System Analysis (MSA), and process capability (Cpk, Ppk) - you use these instinctively, not on request.
• Expertise with Design of Experiments (DOE) for process optimization.
• Experience with continuous or semi-continuous manufacturing line concepts (belt press, or equivalent) is a strong plus.
• Experience with controlled atmosphere processing and/or high-temperature industrial environments preferred.
• Experience in gas handling, exhaust treatment and waste heat collection and re-use is a plus.
• Proven track record driving product qualification, regulatory certification and new product introduction.

Specific Skills / Abilities

• You know the difference between a research result and a manufacturable process, and you say so when you see it.
• Strong process and systems mindset - experience implementing design control, setting and meeting specifications, and moving product from lab to pilot to prototype to full manufacturing.
• Skilled in partner engagement, technical presentations, and developing tailored engineering solutions.
• Able to work at the bench and on the whiteboard for manufacturing line design the same week.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and mentoring skills with a collaborative, hands-on approach.
• Entrepreneurial drive: comfortable with ambiguity, fast iteration, and doing more with less.

Enjoy...

A fast-paced, entrepreneurial culture focused on innovation.
A flexible, autonomous work environment.
A culture of respect, learning, and excellence.
Experienced, highly talented experts as team peers.
Growth and travel opportunities.
A team of change-makers having a significant impact on people and the planet.
About TAF Carbon

TAF Carbon develops ultra high end carbon based materials that compete with "ordinary materials" in the construction market and beyond. Our team of passionate change-makers want to leave the world better than the way we found it and work towards a future of Better Materials Everywhere. TAF Carbon prides itself on hiring talented, highly motivated people because that's what our mission requires. To work at TAF Carbon is to know that you are part of something special-something bigger than yourself.

Today, we're deploying solutions that are game changing, scalable and profitable, taking on challenges based on the needs of our clients and partners and of local and global economies. At TAF Carbon we combine the best of what technology and the natural world can offer in developing a truly game changing material. Are you ready to #JoinTheJourney?

Position : Director of Engineering
Full-Time or Part-Time : Full-Time
Reports to : Director of R&D, TAF Carbon
Location : (On-Site) Syracuse, NY

Contact: View email address on click.appcast.io