Find & Apply For Molding / Casting Worker Jobs in Chugwater, Wyoming

Lead Process Technician — Mixing & Casting Chugwater, WY (Cheyenne area)

• on-site

• Reports to: Technician Supervisor

THE MISSION

Astra Core-X (ACX) is developing affordable and capable combined ramjet/rocket technology for the defense of the United States and our allies. We're rapidly bringing this capability to market by pairing the latest manufacturing processes and technology with solid financial backing and the guidance of world-class industry experts and research institutions. Over the past year ACX has grown from a founding team into a roughly 40-person organization standing up its own development production capability out of Broomfield, Colorado and a production/test site in Chugwater, Wyoming. We're mid-build on a production facility and targeting a working pilot line within the next year. At this size, every hire directly shapes how the company runs. Our work exists to make American service members and allied forces safer. We're glad to have teammates who've carried that mission in uniform, and we welcome veterans and transitioning service members to apply.

THE ROLE

We mix and cast energetic materials at our Chugwater, Wyoming site, and we're moving that work from development batches toward a repeatable production process. This role is our first hire on that floor and our lead technician there. You'll run the mixes and casts, but more importantly you'll understand why a batch behaved the way it did, catch drift before it becomes a bad lot, and give engineering the data and judgment to fix it. We're not looking for someone who only knows which buttons to push. We want a technician with a real science background, typically a degree in chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, or a related field, plus hands-on time in a formal lab where procedures, controls, and records mattered. Experience with energetics is a plus, not a requirement; we'll train the right person on our materials and safety program. You'll help write the work instructions and batch records as much as follow them, and as the team grows you'll train and lead the technicians who join you. The role is based at our Chugwater site, roughly 45 minutes north of Cheyenne, for at least the first six months. As we bring production-scale mixing online in the Denver area, there may be an opportunity to relocate and help stand up that operation. We're deliberately small and deliberately fast, and we equip every team — not just engineering — with modern software and AI-assisted tools so a lean group can run like a much bigger one.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Prepare, weigh, and stage raw materials to the batch record, verifying lot, expiration, and material status before anything goes into a mix. Set up and operate mixing, vacuum casting, and cure equipment, including remotely operated processes, following approved procedures and hazard controls. Pull and run in-process and lot-acceptance samples (for example viscosity, density, hardness, and mechanical test specimens), and record results accurately. Watch the process, not just the checklist: track trends, flag out-of-family results, and help engineering work through root cause when a batch doesn't behave as expected. Support development and qualification work, including designed experiments, small-scale formulation trials, and process changes, with clean data and good notes. Help write and maintain work instructions, batch records, and equipment checklists, and keep lot traceability and production records audit-ready.

Maintain lab and process areas:

cleaning, housekeeping, waste handling and disposal per procedure, calibration status, and basic equipment upkeep. Follow and help improve our explosives safety, chemical hygiene, and PPE programs; exercise stop-work authority when something isn't right and escalate immediately. Act as the on-site lead for mixing and casting at Chugwater, and train and direct technicians as the team grows.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field, or an associate degree with substantially more equivalent experience. 2+ years of hands-on work in a formal laboratory or regulated process environment (industrial, QC, R&D, pharmaceutical, biotech, food, or similar) operating under written procedures and documented controls.

Practical lab skills:

accurate weighing and measurement, sample prep, basic analytical and physical testing, and solid lab notebook or batch-record habits. Experience safely handling hazardous chemicals, including working with SDSs, PPE, chemical compatibility, and waste handling. Enough scientific grounding to reason about what's happening in a process — reactivity, cure, viscosity, contamination, moisture — and explain it to engineers. Comfort working independently at a small remote site, making sound calls, and knowing when to stop and escalate. Working comfort with spreadsheets, data entry, and email; ability to organize and share process data. Eligibility to be approved by ATF as an employee possessor, and ability to pass a background check and drug screen. This role requires access to a controlled-access production facility, regulated materials, and export-controlled technical data. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

NICE TO HAVE

Experience mixing, casting, or processing energetic materials, propellants, explosives, or pyrotechnics in defense, aerospace, mining, or commercial explosives. Experience with polymers, elastomers, adhesives, coatings, or other filled-resin systems where mix ratio, pot life, and cure matter. Background in a

GMP, ISO 17025, ISO

9001, or AS9100 environment, including deviations, nonconformances, and corrective action. Experience with designed experiments, statistical process control, or basic data analysis tools. Experience operating mixers, vacuum or pressure equipment, ovens, or remote-operated process equipment. Prior experience training other technicians or serving as a lead on a lab or production team.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Lift, carry, and move materials up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation. Stand, walk, bend, and reach for extended periods in lab, production, and outdoor test-site environments. Wear required PPE for extended periods, which may include flame-resistant clothing, conductive footwear, face shields, and respiratory protection (including medical clearance and fit testing). Work around chemicals, dust, noise, and temperature extremes, and commute to a rural site in all seasons, including Wyoming winter conditions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The pay range for this role is $35.00 - $50.00 per hour, based on experience and scope. The range reflects the scientific background, lab experience, and on-site lead responsibility this role requires. Full-time employees are eligible for company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Astra Core-X is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants on their merits and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Many ACX positions require access to export-controlled technical data; where this posting states a citizenship requirement, it reflects that legal restriction and does not otherwise limit our commitment to equal opportunity in hiring.

Pay:

$35.00 - $50.00 per hour Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Flexible schedule Relocation assistance

Work Location:

In person