[Hiring] Energetics Engineer @Haag, a Salas O'Brien Company

Role Description

The Energetics Engineer is responsible for the design, analysis, testing, and safe operation of systems involving energetic materials, ammunition, Ammunition Components, and Explosives (AA&E), pyrotechnic, chemical processing, and hazardous process equipment. This role provides technical leadership for energetics, process safety, and facility engineering projects, ensuring compliance with applicable industry codes, standards, and regulatory requirements. The Energetics Engineer conducts hazardous area classification studies, performs hazard analyses and risk assessments, develops engineering solutions that support safe and reliable operations, and applies all NFPA hazardous, explosive, and related standards.

Working with general supervision as part of multidisciplinary teams, the Energetics Engineer supports the full project lifecycle, including conceptual design, detailed engineering, testing, troubleshooting, and operational support for facilities handling flammable gases, liquids, and energetic materials. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in energetics and process systems with a deep understanding of safety engineering, regulatory compliance, and risk management in aerospace, defense, industrial gas, or energy-related environments.

This role supports modernization of legacy AA&E facilities where aging equipment, outdated controls, limited instrumentation, constrained utilities, and hazardous operations must be assessed and translated into practical engineering strategies.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Evaluate existing energetics, propellant, pyrotechnic, chemical processing, utility, and hazardous industrial systems to improve safety, reliability, maintainability, and operational readiness.
• Lead the design, analysis, testing, and implementation of energetics systems involving propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics, pressurized gases, and cryogenic fluids.
• Perform hazardous area classification studies for facilities and systems handling flammable gases, liquids, vapors, and combustible materials.
• Apply and interpret all NFPA and other applicable industry standards to determine electrical area classifications and safety requirements.
• Develop process safety analyses, hazard assessments and analyses, hazard and operability studies, explosives safety reviews, regulatory compliance assessments, and risk mitigation strategies for energetics operations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and customer safety regulations and standards.
• Support modernization planning for facilities involving energetics, propellants, pyrotechnics, chemical processing, bulk material handling, and hazardous operations.
• Evaluate and document the safe handling, storage, and transport of unserviceable ammunition and explosives (AE) in compliance with DOT 49 CFR hazard classes, OSHA PSM, and DA PAM standards.
• Implement Resource Recovery and Recycling (R³) protocols for hazardous military materials.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with the EPA Military Munitions Rule and RCRA hazardous waste shipping mandates during large-scale demilitarization operations.
• Support development of facility layouts, equipment selection, equipment specifications, review of technical data sheets, conducting vendor coordination and technical evaluations, and design documentation.
• Support design reviews, safety reviews, and operational readiness assessments for propulsion and energetics systems.
• Participate in site visits, field investigations, technical walkdowns, client workshops, technical reviews, and project presentations.
• Evaluate instrumentation, interlocks, permissives, alarms, remote operation, and monitoring strategies that improve operator safety and risk control in hazardous production environments.
• Collaborate and lead multidisciplinary teams to integrate energetic and hazardous-operation requirements into facility design.
• Evaluate storage, transfer, handling, and disposal methods for energetic materials and propellants.
• Lead or conduct root cause investigations and corrective action development for system failures, incidents, and near-miss events.
• Assist with proposal development, scope definition, basis of estimate development, budget planning, schedule planning, and technical approach narratives for federal opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in energetics, propellants, pyrotechnics, chemical processing, defense industrial base facilities, or related hazardous industrial environments.
• Experience with ammunition, explosives, energetics, propellants, pyrotechnics, chemical manufacturing, or similar commodities is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting Department of War, federal, defense contractor, aerospace, specialty chemical, advanced manufacturing, or mission-critical industrial clients.
• Demonstrated experience producing engineering calculations, technical reports, design criteria, technical narratives, specifications, equipment data sheets, and design documents.
• Experience supporting explosives safety, hazardous area classification, process safety analyses, hazard reviews, risk assessments, HAZOP studies, and applying NFPA 497 requirements.
• Experience working within and leading multidisciplinary engineering teams on complex industrial, federal, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC); design-build, or modernization projects.
• Knowledge of applicable codes and standards, including NFPA, OSHA, and industry-specific safety requirements.
• Experience collaborating on Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP), or similar risk assessments.
• Preferred credentials may include Professional Engineer, Certified Process Safety Professional, or similar technical certifications.
• Ability to obtain and maintain applicable site access, security clearance, or customer-required credentials.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of energetics and hazardous industrial facility engineering, including hazardous materials, propellants, industrial utilities, equipment integration, and safety-critical operations.
• Ability to evaluate legacy facilities and identify practical modernization options that improve safety, reliability, maintainability, and operator effectiveness.
• Familiarity with explosives safety environments, hazardous area classification, NFPA standards, related safety standards, facility siting considerations, and compliance-driven design.
• Thorough knowledge of hazardous materials handling, storage, and transportation requirements.
• Ability to support and lead site investigations, field data collection, process walkdowns, operator interviews, document reviews, and existing condition assessments.
• Ability to work with ambiguous or incomplete legacy documentation and develop clear, organized descriptions, assumptions, constraints, and modernization recommendations.
• Familiarity with Department of War facilities, federal government projects, secure facilities, and compliance-driven design processes is preferred.
• Experience with energetics software preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Excel-based engineering calculations, Bluebeam Revu, AutoCAD, and other applicable modeling or analytical platforms.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis skills.
• Proficiency with engineering calculations, process modeling, and technical documentation.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to engineers, project managers, clients, operators, estimators, construction teams, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong work ethics, sound judgment, attention to detail, and commitment to safe, practical, and mission-focused engineering solutions.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and provide technical mentorship to junior engineers.
• Excellent communication skills, organizational capability, and ability to plan, balance, and prioritize multiple assignments.
• Ability to work safely in industrial, laboratory, aerospace, test stand, field environments, hybrid, office, and remote settings.
• Ability to conduct site visits and field investigations, access industrial, manufacturing, and construction environments, occasionally lift up to 25 pounds, and wear required personal protective equipment during field assignments.

Location

Remote. May include office, laboratory, industrial facility, launch site, test stand, or construction environments requiring periodic field work and interaction with hazardous materials and cryogenic systems.

Type

Full-Time

Travel

Yes, 10% to 25%, depending on project assignments, site investigation needs, client workshops, commissioning support, and field activities.

Compensation

The expected base salary range for this role is $115,000-$140,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, role responsibilities, and location. This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive U.S.-based benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
• Professional development support