Phd Material Science Jobs in Alabama (NOW HIRING)

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Leidos' Defense Systems is seeking a Additive Manufacturing Engineer to join our team supporting the Advanced Materials Department. The Advanced Materials Department is a multi-disciplinary team that provides materials engineering expertise for every phase of a program. With backgrounds in materials science, chemistry/chemical engineering, physics, among others, the department has experience in executing a variety of efforts from R&D, to prototype development, to supporting design and build tasks for manufacturing. Beyond subject matter expertise, the department has the analysis equipment, multi-physics modelling capability and experimental lab space to support activities ranging from proof-of-concept experimentation to manufacturing support.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world's toughest security challenges for customers with "can't fail" missions. To explore and learn more, click here!

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Primary Responsibilities

As an integral member of the Advanced Materials Department, the successful candidate will balance multiple activities including but not limited to:

- Design for additive manufacturing (DfAM)

- Developing plans and layouts for additive manufacturing equipment and capabilities

- Contributing to multiple program teams as the resident additive manufacturing expert across multiple metal additive technologies

- Performing additive manufacturing analyses including cost, feasibility, deformation, expected material/component mechanical and thermal properties

Basic Qualifications

• Resident of North Alabama or willing to relocate to work on-site in Huntsville, AL.
• Hands-on experience with metal additive manufacturing engineering
• Experience with and basic understanding of design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), especially with Powder Bed Fusion, DED, and/or Cold Spray.
• Experience with metal additive manufacturing support structure design.
• Experience setting up metal builds with software like Materialise Magics, Oqton 3DXpert, EOSPrint, etc.
• Ability to support hardware systems including setup, operation, and troubleshooting of AM equipment.
• Familiar with high strength/temperature metal alloys (nickels, HEAs, refractories, etc.)
• Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.2 GPA in mechanical engineering, materials science, manufacturing engineering, or a related field from an ABET accredited university.
• 4+ years experience in metal additive manufacturing, or MS with 2+ years experience, or PhD with 1+ years experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with the following metal additive manufacturing processes: Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing, Directed Energy Deposition (DED), and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)
• Experience with build parameter development, process development/optimization, and qualification.
• Familiarity with post-processing methods including heat treatment, machining, and surface finishing.
• Experience with simulation tools for additive manufacturing (thermal, distortion, support optimization).
• Exposure to in-situ monitoring systems or sensor integration in AM platforms.
• Programming or scripting experience (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for data analysis or workflow automation.
• Hands on experience preparing mechanical testing, including monotonic, fatigue, creep, etc.
• Experience with metallurgical specimen preparation and inspection
• Experience in communicating with external vendors or in contract manufacturing
• Experience obtaining quotes for work and equipment
• Experience writing proposals
• Design experience on Solidsworks, Creo, or other CAD systems
• Experience troubleshooting and maintaining complex AM equipment, including laser optics, process monitoring
• Experience working with hazardous materials
• Experience writing standard operating procedures and safety work practices documents
• Experience setting up AM equipment and training others on equipment

AppKinetic

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:June 12, 2026Pay Range:Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.