Energetic Materials Engineer — Firestone Park, CA at

About the Company

Furientis is building a new class of defensive interceptor missile for the United States and its allies. We design, build, and produce these systems end-to-end, from physics through manufacturing, at production rates legacy primes cannot match and at a fraction of the cost. We recruit engineers who internalize the warfighter's problems and bring deep mastery of the relevant technologies, without the institutional inertia that has slowed the legacy primes. Work done at Furientis has meaning.

About the Team

The Propulsion Team designs, builds, and flies the solid rocket motors that power our interceptor. We own the chemistry, the motor and grain design, the ground test campaigns, and the range operations.

About the Role

We are looking for a chemist or chemical engineer who will own our composite propellant: formulation, mix and cure process, ingredient sourcing, and characterization. You will report to the Head of Propulsion.

This is a hands-on role for someone who has already taken a composite propellant from formulation through motor flight or qualification, and who prefers cheap, well-understood chemistry to high-energy energetics or one-source materials. Every formulation choice is also a unit-cost choice, and we expect you to design accordingly.

Hiring Process

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Location & Logistics

This role is on-site at our Los Angeles, CA HQ; remote work is not available. The position requires monthly weekend travel for test events and supplier engagements.

Eligibility & Compliance

To comply with U.S. export control laws, employment is contingent on eligibility to access export-controlled information. You must be a U.S. Person and eligible to obtain a U.S. SECRET security clearance. Active clearance is not required at hire; we will sponsor.

Equal Opportunity

Furientis is an equal-opportunity employer.

Work location

Work model: On-site

1536, East 77th Street, Florence-Firestone, Firestone Park, Los Angeles County, California, 90001, United States

Firestone Park, California

Key Responsibilities

check_circleOwn propellant formulation including composition tradeoffs and ingredient selection
check_circleSource and technically qualify ingredients across the propellant supplier base
check_circleMatch propellant properties to motor architecture with development engineers
check_circleDesign dual-pulse chemistry including composition selection and barrier interaction
check_circleWrite mix SOPs and qualification documentation for production
check_circleManage facility safety and compliance regarding hazardous materials and storage
check_circleCharacterize formulations by measuring burn rate, pressure exponent, and mechanical properties
check_circleDevelop mix and cure processes such as vacuum profiles and cure schedules

Requirements

verifiedB.S. or M.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related
verified5+ years hands-on composite-propellant formulation and mix process development
verifiedU.S. Person eligible to obtain U.S. SECRET security clearance
verifiedAI-native working style with agentic coding tools
verifiedFluency with HTPB, AP, aluminum, curative, plasticizer, and bonding agent chemistry
verifiedHands-on mix experience with vertical and planetary mixers, vacuum mixing, cast and cure cycle development
verifiedWorking fluency with thermochemistry codes
verifiedHands-on burn rate measurement experience
verifiedMechanical property testing experience of cured propellant
verifiedReal working network of composite-propellant ingredient suppliers

Nice to Have

Direct dual-pulse propellant development experience. Aging and shelf-life qualification experience. Experience standing up a propellant mix facility from scratch. ATF, OSHA PSM, and EPA compliance experience for energetic-materials operations. Burn rate modifier and ballistic modifier formulation work. Out-of-domain chemistry background (e.g., polymer chemistry, battery formulation, hazardous-process work) providing practical, first-principles intuition.

Company

Furientis

Industry

Defense and Space Manufacturing

Headquarters

El Segundo, CA

Open Roles

Intercepting tomorrow's threats, today.

Furientis operates within the defense and space manufacturing sector, headquartered in El Segundo, California. The organization focuses on addressing critical gaps in production capacity for defensive munitions, aiming to meet the high demand driven by modern conflict requirements. Current manufacturing models are assessed as insufficient for scaling the thousands of units needed annually to complement high-end systems. To resolve this, Furientis is developing a mass of next-generation, cost-effective systems designed to fill these operational voids. The company is actively advancing its technology through rapid flight testing of demonstrators. This approach supports the broader goal of establishing a sustainable production infrastructure capable of delivering reliable defensive capabilities at scale. The firm's work centers on creating systems that are both economically viable and operationally robust for contemporary defense needs.

Skills, education and keywords

Skills: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Composite-Propellant Formulation, Mix Process Development, HTPB, Ap, Aluminum, Curative, Plasticizer.

Education: B.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related; M.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related.

Frequently asked questions about Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis

What does a Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis do?expand_more

A Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis is responsible for the following: Own propellant formulation including composition tradeoffs and ingredient selection; Source and technically qualify ingredients across the propellant supplier base; Match propellant properties to motor architecture with development engineers; and Design dual-pulse chemistry including composition selection and barrier interaction.

What are the requirements for this Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant role?expand_more

Furientis is looking for candidates who meet the following requirements: B.S. or M.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related; 5+ years hands-on composite-propellant formulation and mix process development; U.S. Person eligible to obtain U.S. SECRET security clearance; AI-native working style with agentic coding tools; Fluency with HTPB, AP, aluminum, curative, plasticizer, and bonding agent chemistry; and Hands-on mix experience with vertical and planetary mixers, vacuum mixing, cast and cure cycle development.

Where is the Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant role at Furientis located?expand_more

Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis is based in 1536, East 77th Street, Florence-Firestone, Firestone Park, Los Angeles County, California, 90001, United States. This is a on-site role.

Is this Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant job remote, hybrid, or on-site?expand_more

Furientis has listed this Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant role as on-site.

How much experience is required for this Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant role?expand_more

Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis typically requires 5+ years of relevant experience at the senior level.

What skills do you need for the Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant role at Furientis?expand_more

Key skills for Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis include Chemistry; Chemical Engineering; Materials Science; Composite-Propellant Formulation; Mix Process Development; HTPB; Ap; and Aluminum.

What education is required for Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis?expand_more

Educational requirements for this role: B.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related; and M.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related.

What category does the Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant role belong to?expand_more

Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant at Furientis is part of the engineering job category on Recrutus.

About Furientis

To resolve this, Furientis is developing a mass of next-generation, cost-effective systems designed to fill these operational voids. The company is actively advancing its technology through rapid flight testing of demonstrators. This approach supports the broader goal of establishing a sustainable production infrastructure capable of delivering reliable defensive capabilities at scale. The firm's work centers on creating systems that are both economically viable and operationally robust for contemporary defense needs.

Browse more roles: All Furientis jobs, engineering jobs on Recrutus.

Energetic Materials Engineer, Solid Propellant