Interplay Learning
Head of Process Engineering, Vandrel
New York
Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 23 days ago
NLPComputer VisionIntellectual PropertyPower ElectronicsLeadership
About the role
- WHO ARE WE Vandrel is rebuilding America's high-performance magnet wire supply chain.
- Today, insulated magnet wire is produced by a short list of European and Asian suppliers.
- That is a problem for every US program that needs higher voltage, higher temperature, or higher power density.
Responsibilities
- Design and Run the Process: Lead development and operation of Vandrel's pilot extrusion line for PEEK-insulated copper magnet wire across target conductor gauges, from resin handling through finished, wound-ready wire.
- Own the Copper-to-PEEK Interface: Drive surface preparation, oxidation control, adhesion strategy, and bond verification. A very short list of competitors has solved this. We intend to solve it better and patent the result.
- Drive Yield, Throughput, and IP: Take the process from pilot through first commercial runs. Build and document Vandrel's process IP, trade secrets, and patentable methods.
- Design for Replication: Translate line design into a modular, repeatable layout that supports Vandrel's micro-factory deployment model.
- Build the Team: Hire and lead process engineers, technicians, and quality staR. Set a technical culture where senior people run the line alongside the operators.
- We design and manufacture PEEK-insulated copper conductor in modular micro-factories, producing the wire that goes into the motors, transformers, and power systems that matter most: defense and aerospace platforms, EV traction, and grid and stationary storage.
- Lead development and operation of Vandrel's pilot extrusion line for PEEK-insulated copper magnet wire across target conductor gauges, from resin handling through finished, wound-ready wire.
- Drive surface preparation, oxidation control, adhesion strategy, and bond verification.
- Build and document Vandrel's process IP, trade secrets, and patentable methods.
- Translate line design into a modular, repeatable layout that supports Vandrel's micro-factory deployment model.
Requirements
- 10+ years in polymer extrusion, wire and cable manufacturing, or high-performance coatings, with at least 5 years in a senior technical leadership role.
- Demonstrated track record taking an extrusion or coating process from pilot into production, including yield, cost, and long-term reliability.
Nice to have
- Familiarity with IEC 60317 and NEMA MW 1000 magnet wire standards is a plus.
- Hands-on experience with high-temperature thermoplastics
- PEEK, PEKK, PAEK, or comparable semi-crystalline engineering polymers strongly preferred.
Compensation
- Compensation is benchmarked to senior technical leadership at venture-backed hard tech companies.
- Base salary is competitive and equity is material; both scale with experience and scope of ownership.
Benefits
- Integrate AI-driven computer vision and acoustic sensors to create a 'Digital Birth Certificate' for every spool, providing meter-by-meter traceability for defense and aerospace clients.
- For candidates ready to anchor Vandrel's technical side from day one, we are open to structuring this as a co-founder-level package: co-founder equity, commensurate title, and the authority that comes with it.
Company info
- Hire and lead process engineers, technicians, and quality staR.
- Set a technical culture where senior people run the line alongside the operators.
- Our team is small, senior, and hands-on, and we are closing that gap.
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