Senior Metallurgy Engineer

San Francisco, CAFull-time$100k–$131kPosted Jul 17, 2026
Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

At United, we have some of the best aircraft in the world. Our Technical Operations team is full of aircraft maintenance technicians, engineers, planners, ground equipment and facilities professionals, and supply chain teams that help make sure they’re well taken care of and ready to get our customers to their desired destinations. If you’re ready to work on our planes, join our Tech Ops experts and help keep our fleet in tip-top shape.

Technical Operations/Maintenance

Technical Operations includes the maintenance and overhaul of our aircraft. This includes aircraft maintenance technicians, engineers, planners, ground equipment and facilities teams, supply chain teams and more.

Job overview and responsibilities

Experience in Metallurgy and/or material science, heat treating, welding, shot peen.  Practical knowledge of properties of aerospace metal alloys, including metallographic sample preparation, microstructure, heat treatment, and welding. Industry experience as a metallurgist is a plus.  Able to mentor other engineering groups on specifying material process for repair development. Analyze failure modes of aircraft engines and components. Self-guide and manage projects with and without support from others on the team.  Prefer direct experience with metallographic sample preparation, microstructure analysis, and heat treatment. Oversight includes metallographic and SEM labs. Demonstrates ability to work independently as well as collaborating and foster engagement with stakeholders. Studies analyze and seek solutions to problems related to the design, operation, maintenance, performance, modification, or repair of aircraft, and their components.

  • Use a structured, logical, and analytical approach in problem solving
  • Defines maintenance program, configuration, and serviceability criteria ensuring safe and legal operation
  • Analyze and implement regulatory requirements
  • Author, design, and manage technical work scopes
  • Provide on-site technical support for shop, line, and base operations
  • Interfaces with internal and external organizations (OEMs, OSVs) regarding specific aircraft, engine, and component issues
  • This position develops potentially complex solutions and implementation plans, project justification, cost/benefit analysis, management of project implementation, technical support, and obtaining FAA approvals as required
  • Coordinate work with other operational groups to ensure airworthiness, safety, regulatory compliance, operational reliability, and operational efficiency
  • Organize and manage the priorities for assigned responsibilities and accomplish the work processes to meet all the deliverables for projects or maintenance program changes/technical specification revisions

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

 

  • Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy, Material Science, Chemical Engineering, or equivalent aviation maintenance experience required

  • 5 plus years of experience

  • Strong understanding of material science and metallurgy.  Manufacturing processes including heat treat, welding, machining, casting, forging, plating, shot peen, composites

  • Strong organizational and project management skills 

  • Professional report writing and presentation skills

  • Ability to work in a fast-paced maintenance environment with time-critical return to service deliverables 

  • Ability to simplify complex technical issues into clear, actionable communication for non-technical audiences

  •  Clear, concise executive-level communication skills 

  • Strong working knowledge of Boeing and Airbus SRMs, SBs, and OEM documentation 

Preferred

 

  • Metallurgical and Material Science with one or more other technical degrees in related fields (Mechanical/Aerospace/Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, etc.)

  • Prior airline experience a plus

  • Boeing or Airbus related structures and/or composite training preferred

  • Airline or Industry experience with general ATA Chapters which encompass, aircraft structures, and disciplines

  • Specific ATA 21, 25, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 72-chapter structures related experience

  • NAA, NTSB and Aerospace OEM joint investigation experience

  • Understanding of wet and dry analytical chemistry techniques

  • High level of knowledge level of analytical instrumentations and techniques such as scanning electron microscope


The base pay range for this role is $100,415.00 to $130,758.00.
The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact JobAccommodations@united.com

Want jobs like this matched to you?

Swoopd scores fresh postings against your résumé so you only see the matches that matter.

Get started free