Boom is building supersonic jet engines, which means we work with high-temperature superalloys all day, every day - parts in fabrication, parts on the drawing board, and parts coming back from our on-site test cell with a story to tell. Reading that story is lab work: sectioning, polishing, etching, testing, measuring, and documenting.

You’ll be Boom’s first M&P lab tech—meaning you play a foundational role in setting up the lab and setting the standards for world-class labwork. This is your opportunity to do it right, the way you’ve always wanted to.This role is the person who does it.

Upstart R&D environment—not rote production QC

Most met lab jobs exist inside an established system - procedures released, equipment qualified, the same tests running on the same parts every shift. You show up and execute the standard, over and over again.

This is a very different job.

Boom's materials lab - metallography, mechanical testing, SEM - is being built right now, in parallel with the engine program it supports. The prep routes, the calibration system, the report templates, the sample tracking: the first versions of those will have your name on them, built side by side with the lab's engineers. And at Boom the technician/engineer line deliberately blurs - you'll help plan test campaigns and shape the lab, not just execute work orders. Is this indication a defect or a prep artifact? Did this heat treat do what the spec says it did? Why does this blade look like that after 50 hours in the test cell?

What you'll do

Prepare metallurgical samples - sectioning, mounting, polishing, etching - across stainless steels, titanium, and nickel-based superalloys

• Perform microstructural analysis on engine components: machined, brazed, welded, heat-treated, and thermally sprayed hardware
• Run hardness and microhardness testing, furnace uniformity surveys, and chemical/cleaning solution analysis
• Support mechanical test operations - tensile, fatigue, creep, elevated temperature - alongside the lab engineer: specimen handling, setup, and data recording
• Support failure and damage investigations on hardware from Boom's engine test cell, alongside M&P engineers
• Evaluate supplier material and process certifications against engineering specs and drawings
• Write the reports: traceable, complete, and defensible - your documentation is the permanent engineering record
• Help stand up the lab itself: procedures, calibration systems, equipment selection input, consumables management
• Support allowables and material characterization test programs as they spin up

This job is demanding

The procedure you need won't always exist yet - you'll write it, with the help of some of the best materials scientists and engineers in the world. The part on your bench may be the only one of its kind, and the data you help generate will drive material decisions on an engine program. That requires craft-level prep skill, real interpretive judgment at the microscope, and documentation discipline that survives scrutiny years later. And you’ll get to see your work manifested rapidly in the engines we build, test, and ship—and which eventually carry passengers faster than the speed of sound.

You probably have

• 2+ years hands-on experience in a metallurgical or materials testing laboratory
• Strong metallographic prep skills and microstructure evaluation experience - ideally on aerospace alloys (nickel superalloys, titanium, stainless)
• Hardness and microhardness testing proficiency
• Experience reading engineering drawings, AMS/ASTM specs, and supplier certifications
• Disciplined documentation habits from an AS9100/NADCAP-type environment
• The ability to work independently and communicate findings directly to engineers

It would be great if you have

• Mechanical testing experience: tensile, fatigue (LCF/HCF), creep, or elevated-temperature testing
• Failure analysis experience: fractography, SEM/EDS exposure, root cause investigation support
• Furnace survey / pyrometry (AMS 2750) experience
• Experience standing up or significantly upgrading a lab capability
• SPC familiarity and comfort with data analysis
• Experience on R&D, development, or test programs rather than pure production
• Further education or diploma in Metallurgy, Materials Science, or related - or equivalent industry depth

Why Boom

Boom's engines are being designed, built, and tested under one roof - including the lab that validates the materials they're made from. There is no version of this role at an established OEM where the lab is still being invented and a technician's judgment shapes it. The microstructures you evaluate and the records you build will directly support engines that fly—and you have the opportunity to shape a brand new state-of-the-art lab from the ground up.

If building the lab that a jet engine company runs on sounds like the job you've been waiting for, apply.

Compensation

The Base Rate for this position is $32 - $46 per hour. Actual rate will vary based on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Boom’s total rewards package for employees. Other rewards may include long term incentives/equity, a flexible PTO policy, and many other progressive benefits.

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.

ITAR Requirement

To conform to U.S. Government aerospace technology export regulations (ITAR and EAR), applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Boom is an equal opportunity employer, including for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. We are building a culture of merit and excellence.

Want to build a faster future? Come join Boom.