About America Makes and NCDMM
America Makes is the Nation’s leading public-private partnership for Additive Manufacturing technology and education. Our members from industry, academia, government, workforce, and economic development organizations, work together to accelerate the adoption of AM and the nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness, focusing on three core missions – Technology Development, Education and Workforce Development, and Ecosystem. America Makes is driven and managed by NCDMM, the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining. Established in 2003, NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness.
About the role and team
As Additive Manufacturing Research Technologist, you will be part of a diverse team that is collaborating to grow and mature the additive manufacturing supply chain. The AM Research Technologist will be responsible for executing a variety of activities which will require the following skills and competencies:
- Understanding AM technology including all or some of the following: design, materials, processes, testing, inspection, value proposition, qualification, and certification
- Familiarity with manufacturing technology development and technology readiness level progression
- Familiarity with manufacturing operations and quality management systems
- Competency of technoeconomic factors influencing manufacturing technology industrialization using data, surveys, published materials, and guidance from subject matter experts
- Ability to manage project risks, communicate project plans, and managing tasking for projects of various sizes and durations
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and able to adjust narrative to align with internal and external stakeholders’ interests
- Communicating technical information
The ideal candidate is a collaborative and creative team player with a passion for additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technologies. Candidates should have experience in developing and scaling manufacturing technology, strategic partnerships, collaboration, and driving stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, candidates should be passionate, life-learners with a desire grow their understanding in areas where their experience may be limited. The role features opportunities for candidates to think strategically and execute tasks systematically to a plan.
The team culture is innovative, creative, and fast-paced. Members of the team need to be adaptive and thrive in an ambiguous environment. This role is part of a collaborative team, but a candidate with a “self-starter” personality who has high emotional intelligence will thrive in this role.
Responsibilities of the role include:
- Coordination and communication with team members and internal and external stakeholders
- Strong Awareness of existing state of the art in additive manufacturing technology
- Identification and prioritization of engagement opportunities
- Forming and maintaining professional relationships through professional societies, conferences, workshops, public events, teleconferences, or other collaboration methods
- Ability to manage diverse tasks with different customers (internal and external) and manage workload to a timeline (plan)
- Assess, discuss, and document gaps in technology maturation landscape to foster alignment to AM technology capability or strategic roadmaps while engaging partners and members to support the mission and/or validate.
- Technical writing and presentation of technical information to various technical and non-technical audiences.
- Leverage existing and forming new government stakeholder relationships to improve awareness around Institute objectives and goals and defining alignment between various stakeholder needs/priorities.
- Drive value creation of the research portfolio through promoting the tenants of effective technical communications – goals, objectives, motivations, approach, success metrics, data management, and reporting.
- Review reports and publications for accuracy and clarity to support the program execution team in deliverable management.
- Support the Technology Director and other America Makes coworkers on ongoing activities, initiatives, and objectives.
On a typical day, you might:
- Review and critically evaluate technical data, proposals, and presentations.
- Assist members of program management team with technical questions, risk assessments, or project planning challenges.
- Engage in virtual or in-person group discussions regarding various strategic technology roadmaps spanning various scientific and engineering disciplines – design, materials, processing, inspection, dynamics, etc.
- Identify speakers or authors to contribute to conferences, journals, or webinars.
- Deliver a technical presentation on America Makes research efforts.
- Moderate panel discussions on high priority or emerging technological challenges.
- Facilitate a virtual or in-person workshop for prioritizing future technology development/investment or coordinating standardization activities.
- Advise on alignment between new or emerging opportunities for AM technologies and relationships to stakeholder needs or existing technology readiness level(s).
- Contribute to the development of request for proposal(s) or technical proposal(s) including technical approach, objectives, topic areas, requirements, and industrial strategic relevance.
- Report out to America Makes Leadership on status and next steps of an ongoing technology program.
About our ideal candidate:
- Exhibit a passion to maintain familiarity with America Makes operations, the research portfolio, and broader efforts of AM community.
- Intrinsic motivation to support a culture of continuous process improvement in a cross-functional team environment.
- Ability to evaluate research (applied or fundamental) and understand merits and impact thereof.
- Prior experience with government contracting (IP, export, and data management) and proposal writing and review preferred.
- Able to tailor written and verbal communications to various audiences – diverse industry sectors, technical and non-technical audiences, and group sizes.
- Master’s degree in related engineering or science discipline preferred, but not required.
- Minimum of 5 years experience with a bachelor’s degree or 2 years experience with a Master’s degree
- Experience in AM research, manufacturing operations, or product development desired
- Experience leading diverse and multi-disciplinary teams.
- Prior experience with technical writing and production of peer-reviewed publications ideal
- Prior experience in developing, conducting, or participating in structured brainstorming/workshops a plus
- Prior experience and demonstrated ability to deliver technical presentations, interpret data, and explain findings / outcomes / trends to a technical and non-technical audience required
- Demonstrated ability to apply business acumen to explain and prioritize research preferred
- Experience in collaboration coupled with value proposition acumen to drive research and technology maturation efforts highly desired
- Relevant and successful experience operating in a technology maturation space, ideally around Additive Manufacturing or other relevant manufacturing technologies (special processes or welding) highly desired
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Prior experience with project/program management a plus.
- Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally highly desired
Additional things about you:
- Self-starter and life learner required
- You are self-directed and can prioritize independently to meet deadlines and drive impact.
- Strong communication skills
- Exhibit a passion for serving the nation and improving the U.S. global manufacturing competitiveness.
- Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and understand how to support stakeholders needs.
- Enjoy strategic, critical, and creative thinking.
- Familiarity and experience with manufacturing specifications and/or standards a plus.
- Prior experience with government-funded research consortia a plus.
- Familiarity with manufacturing quality assurance, control protocols, and management systems a plus.
- Strong publication record a plus.
- Experience in aerospace, defense, energy, healthcare, or automotive industry a plus.
- Experience and competency in commercializing technology are a plus.
Requirements:
NCDMM, as a government contractor, is required to verify all employees through the E-Verify system to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.
