Product Engineer-LEEFI

We're looking for a Product Engineer to help launch a new business focused on Low Energy Exploding Foil Initiator (LEEFI) technology and turn an emerging design into a qualified, production-ready product for U.S. defense programs.

This opportunity combines hands-on product engineering with the challenge of building a new technical capability. Supported by an existing government contract, the program brings together technology developed by several organizations. You’ll resolve integration challenges, refine the design, and help establish a repeatable path to production.

You’ll collaborate with a chief engineer and principal investigator who brings more than 40 years of energetics experience, including direct LEEFI expertise, along with a design engineer. This is an opportunity to influence product development, work through open technical problems, and take meaningful ownership from design through qualification and production release.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and integration of LEEFI technology into a qualified, producible energetic component.
• Evaluate and refine EFI/LEEFI component designs, including bridge foils, flyers, and barrels, in collaboration with the technical team.
• Address integration requirements between the initiating device, firing set, and capacitive-discharge interface.
• Define energetic material and component requirements, including secondary explosive pellets and associated manufacturing requirements.
• Develop and execute qualification and acceptance test programs addressing environmental performance, functionality, safety, and reliability.
• Support qualification activities under applicable military standards, including MIL-STD-1316 and MIL-STD-1901.
• Coordinate specialized testing and analyze results to identify design gaps, investigate failures, and guide engineering changes.
• Develop and maintain engineering drawings, component specifications, technical data packages, test plans, and reports required by the government contract.
• Partner with manufacturing and quality teams to establish repeatable assembly processes, production controls, and acceptance criteria.
• Conduct hazard assessments and maintain engineering documentation consistent with applicable defense, environmental, and energetic-material safety requirements.
• Provide technical support to customers, suppliers, internal teams, and government program stakeholders throughout development and production transition.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of three years of experience in energetic devices, initiation systems, or related product development.
• Hands-on EFI or LEEFI product experience, with direct involvement in design, development, integration, testing, or qualification.
• Understanding of energetic initiation systems and the relationship between device performance, electrical interfaces, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience translating development-stage designs into documented, testable, and manufacturable products.
• Familiarity with military qualification requirements and applicable standards, particularly MIL-STD-1316 and MIL-STD-1901.
• Knowledge of safety practices and regulatory requirements associated with energetic materials and devices.
• Proficiency with relevant engineering design tools and data analysis applications.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, technical writing, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Ability to manage evolving requirements and multiple technical priorities in a growing program.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Experience with LEEFI qualification and transition to production.
• Background in fuzing, electronic safe-and-arm devices (ESAD), pulsed-power systems, or firing-set design.
• Experience supporting government-funded defense or aerospace development programs.
• Familiarity with specialized initiation-system testing and performance characterization.
• Experience with supplier qualification, engineering change control, and product lifecycle management.
• Active DoD security clearance.