Associate Process Engineer Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

ABOUT SUBCRITICAL SYSTEMS

Subcritical Systems, Inc. is a venture-backed startup in Austin, Texas developing accelerator-driven systems and the only US commercial manufacturer of accelerator cavities. What Space X did for rockets, we plan to do for accelerator cavities and commercialize across applications of power production, medical isotopes, semiconductors, and waste transmutilation.

We are in the process of building the Energy Amplifier, a novel nuclear fission system in which a particle accelerator drives a subcritical core, making meltdown physically impossible for clean power production. Due to its inherent safety, our system has a more streamlined licensing process. Our founding team includes successful entrepreneurs with a track record of building several multibillion dollar companies in deep-tech, and scientists who were leading U.S. national labs with deep experience in accelerator & nuclear technologies.

We are actively hiring to expand our team as we work toward licensing, regulatory submissions, and construction of our first energy amplifier. More information is available at subcritical.com.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Capture process knowledge from engineers, technicians, and subject matter experts, and translate it into clear, actionable process workflows, SOPs, work instructions, and operational documentation.
• Develop and maintain structured manufacturing work packages, including traveler packages, work instructions, control plans, bills of materials, inspection criteria, and supporting documentation to enable traceable and repeatable execution.
• Build the digital foundation required to scale manufacturing operations, including structured process data capture, production tracking, documentation control, and workflow visibility.
• Gather, organize, and analyze production and process data to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, resource gaps, tooling needs, capacity constraints, and opportunities for workflow improvement or automation.
• Support scaling initiatives by identifying automation opportunities, implementing barcoding and traceability systems, and standardizing processes across production cells and work areas.
• Partner with operations, procurement, project management, scheduling, engineering, and production teams to identify manufacturing needs and proactively address constraints before they impact schedule or throughput.
• Develop, organize, and maintain SOP libraries, ensuring appropriate version control, accessibility, document ownership, and alignment with actual shop-floor practice.
• Create clear reports, dashboards, and presentations that summarize process performance, production gaps, improvement opportunities, and recommended actions for engineering and operations leadership.
• Participate in non-conformance investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action processes; ensure lessons learned are incorporated into updated procedures, controls, and work packages.
• Support the development of safety and compliance documentation as manufacturing scales, including workflows and controls related to radiation safety, cryogenic handling, cleanroom operations, and other applicable safety protocols.
• Help establish scalable systems, documentation standards, and process controls that enable the organization to transition from prototype or low-volume production into repeatable, higher-volume manufacturing.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in process engineering in manufacturing, production, or in a laboratory environment
• Familiarity with precision manufacturing concepts, process control, and quality systems (e.g., ISO, AS9100, or similar).
• Strong data gathering and analysis skills; ability to leverage AI to aggregate data to identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and automation opportunities. Proficiency in Excel or similar tools required; experience with MATLAB, Python, or data visualization tools a plus.
• Demonstrated skill in documentation development, including SOPs, work instructions, and work packages; able to write clearly for a technical production audience.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail; able to manage multiple concurrent documentation and process improvement workstreams without losing track of priorities.
• Proven ability to work with subject matter experts to extract technical knowledge and translate it into clear, executable steps in a manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with barcoding, part serialization, or traceability systems in a manufacturing or laboratory context.
• Experience identifying and scoping automation opportunities in a production environment; familiarity with scripting, workflow tools, or process automation concepts is a plus.
• Background supporting cross-functional teams in an operations, project management, or production scheduling context; comfort working in a fast-moving startup environment where roles and processes are still being defined.

Preferred

• Experience in a pilot plant, pre-production, or manufacturing scale-up environment; familiarity with the challenges of transitioning processes from development to repeatable production.
• Experience with statistical process control (SPC), Six Sigma, or lean manufacturing methodologies
• Experience identifying and scoping automation opportunities in a production environment; familiarity with scripting, workflow tools, or process automation concepts.
• Experience with ERP, MES, or other production tracking systems; comfort learning new software tools quickly.
• Exposure to cleanroom, cryogenic, or other controlled manufacturing environments; ability to follow established safety protocols.

BENEFITS

We offer health, dental, and vision insurance.

LOCATION & WORK POLICY

This role is fully in person in Austin, Texas. Our facility is located next to Austin Airport.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply on LinkedIn or submit your resume and a brief cover letter to careers@subcritical.com with the subject line “Process Engineer Associate - Application”. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.