Corey Crooks

About Corey Crooks

Sr. Principal Materials & Process Engineer | Aerospace, Polymers & Packaging BackgroundAfter 30+ years in materials and process engineering, I\'ve gone from lab benches to leading teams on everything from biodegradable polymers to high-reliability aerospace hardware. It\'s been a winding path—some big wins, a few layoffs, and plenty of lessons in what makes science actually work in the real world.At Ball Aerospace (multiple stints), I\'ve supported antenna programs like OLI/Landsat, F-35 JSF, Tactical Tomahawk, and JPSS—first as a Materials & Process Engineer, later leading paint process engineering, managing M&P labs, and jumping back into critical roles when things got interesting.Earlier stops included- Managing a small team at Graphic Packaging International, developing microwave packaging solutions for major food brands (one tray design helped open up new markets in Brazil). Ended up with a handful of patents along the way, including US10••••25B2 for expandable microwave constructs- Working on emulsion polymers at Reichhold/Dow Specialty Latex—binders for paper coatings, masking tape, fiberglass shingles. Co-inventor on (one-component thermoset latex composition) for roofing and composites- Testing and optimizing non-traditional catalysts at Chronopol for polylactic acid copolymers—great chemistry until the company ran out of runway.I like solving hard problems, building capable teams, and keeping things moving under pressure. Not big on corporate theater—just results and the occasional dry joke. Currently open to remote opportunities in materials engineering, R&D leadership, or technical operations (aerospace, advanced manufacturing, or adjacent fields). If you\'re working on something challenging and want someone who can contribute technically while helping the team stay sane, drop me a note. Happy to chat about how my experience might fit your next program.Core strengths: Materials & Process Engineering • Team Leadership • Patent Development • Aerospace & Polymers • Problem-Solving • Remote Collaboration(Erie, CO | Fully open to remote |#MaterialsEngineering #Aerospace #Leadership #RemoteWork)

Experience

1. Senior Principal Engineer Ii - Materials & Process Engineering

   BAE Systems, Inc.

   Feb 2024 — Present

Education

• University of Colorado Boulder

  BA, Chemistry

  1990 — 1994

Skills

• Polymers
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Polymer Chemistry
• Root Cause Analysis
• Nanotechnology
• R&D
• Materials
• Plastics
• Thermoplastics
• Aerospace
• Tga
• Design for Manufacturing
• Thin Films
• Chemical Engineering
• Coatings
• Rheology
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry
• Minitab
• Formulation
• Adhesives
• Polymer Characterization
• Lean Manufacturing
• Engineering Management
• Thermal Analysis
• Process Engineering
• Surfactants
• Nonwovens
• Characterization
• Spectroscopy
• Design of Experiments
• Six Sigma
• Chemistry
• Emulsions
• Project Management
• Elastomers
• Scanning Electron Microscopy
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanomaterials
• Process Simulation
• Polymer Science