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Material & Process Engineer

SWISSto12

SWISSto12

Renens, Switzerland
Posted on Apr 18, 2025
Job DescriptionSWISSto12 is one of the world’s fastest-growing aerospace companies, evolving from its pioneering use of 3D printing technologies for high-performance Radio Frequency (RF) products and applications to manufacturing entire geostationary telecommunication satellites, called HummingSat, that define a new category in space and of which 4 have already been sold to international leading telecom operators: Intelsat and ViaSat (acqu. Inmarsat).

HummingSat is the world’s first commercial telecom GEO SmallSat developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). Its uniquely compact size combined with highly capable telecom payloads allows telecommunications operators to deploy a cost-efficient, compact and agile asset without sacrificing performance or security.

SWISSto12 is also a leading provider of Radio-Frequency (RF) products and sub-systems. The company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF products. This position is a unique opportunity to lead the development of a new class of telecommunication satellites.

If you are looking for a position where you can play an active role in contributing to an innovative and fast-growing company, this role is for you.

This position is a unique opportunity to play a key role in the industrialization and production of advanced space hardware during a critical phase of growth and scale-up. As a Materials & Process (M&P) Engineer, you will be at the forefront of maturing, stabilizing, and optimizing materials and manufacturing processes—ensuring that our designs transition successfully from prototype to flight-ready, production-grade systems.
You will provide hands-on support to production teams, contribute to process development and continuous improvement initiatives, and lead the qualification of critical technologies such as additive manufacturing (SLM) of aluminum, a strategic core capability for the company. Your work will be instrumental in enabling reliable, efficient, and repeatable manufacturing for high-performance spacecraft structures and subsystems. Job Requirements
  • Master’s degree in Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
  • Strong expertise in additive manufacturing (SLM) with aluminum alloys, including process development and industrialization.
  • Experience supporting production environments and scaling processes for higher throughput.
  • Understanding of space-specific challenges (e.g., thermal cycling, vacuum compatibility, outgassing, radiation).
  • Familiarity with industry standards (ECSS, NASA-STD, ASTM, MIL-specs).
  • Hands-on experience with design-for-manufacturing and process optimization techniques (e.g., SPC, PFMEA, Lean/6σ tools).
  • Experience with launch vehicle or spacecraft hardware production.
  • Knowledge of material testing, outgassing control (ASTM E595), and environmental qualification methods (TVAC, vibration).
  • Excellent analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
  • Be comfortable working with tight timelines, across multiple time zones and with frequent travels.
  • Have outstanding English writing and presenting skills. Solid French is not mandatory but is a strong plus.
Job Responsibilities
  • Drive the industrialization of materials and manufacturing processes, ensuring stability and repeatability for serial production in a fast-paced spaceflight environment.
  • Support day-to-day production activities, providing real-time materials and process expertise to resolve shop floor issues and improve yield.
  • Identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cost, cycle time, and non-conformances, while maintaining product quality and performance.
  • Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure material/process selections meet mission and production requirements.
  • Characterize and qualify fastening methods, adhesive bonding, composite layups, surface treatments, and machining processes for space applications.
  • Support material and process qualifications, write and maintain internal specifications, and ensure compliance with standards (NASA, ESA, ECSS, ASTM, etc.).
  • Investigate production anomalies and failures; conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
  • Engage with suppliers and partners to ensure robustness of externally provided materials and processes.
Job BenefitsTo be chatted during your exchange with our recruitment team.

More about SWISSto12:

SWISSto12 has successfully established contracts with ViaSat (acqu. Inmarsat), Intelsat and ESA for HummingSat as well as contracts for its RF product line in Europe and the USA with prominent partners and customers such as Thales, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and ESA. SWISSto12 is a spin off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors. SWISSto12 is headquartered in Renens (close to Lausanne, Switzerland), and operates subsidiaries in Foster City California USA, Virginia USA, Madrid Spain and Copenhagen Denmark. The company is well funded for its developments and backed by a solid customer revenue stream with near term profitability