Lead Manufacturing Engineer

ABOUT THE TEAM

Within the Maneuver Dominance team, we are growing an early-stage, undisclosed autonomous air vehicle (AAV) program at our Costa Mesa HQ. This team is chartered with re-inventing an existing platform through heavy modification and integration of advanced autonomy, mission systems, and payloads. On this team, you will be tackling novel challenges across airframe, structures, avionics, and software from day one. As part of this program, you'll work alongside a tight-knit group of mechanical, structural, electrical, and software engineers, together with Program Leads and the Chief Engineer, all embedded in a single team driving toward major milestones.

You will work in a lean, high-ownership culture where the entire vehicle team sits side-by-side, iterating quickly and making decisions in real time. Given the early stage of the program, you will have influence over foundational architecture decisions and the opportunity to redefine an existing platform.

ABOUT THE JOB

As the Lead Manufacturing Engineer, you will serve as the critical bridge between design intent and physical execution, transforming complex technical data packages into a robust, repeatable build reality for our autonomous air vehicle program. Partnering closely with design teams early in development, you will drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) through rigorous GD&T reviews, tolerance stack-ups, and EBOM-to-MBOM alignment to ensure producibility from the outset. You will architect the overall production flow by breaking down complex vehicle assemblies into logical sub-processes while authoring the work instructions, quality plans, and inspection requirements needed for full build traceability.

Highly hands-on, you will work side-by-side with technicians and inspectors on the build floor to coordinate integration activities, deconflict priorities, and troubleshoot electromechanical assembly issues in real time. Ultimately, your dedication to world-class mission assurance and continuous feedback will close the loop between build experience and design refinement, directly shaping future vehicle iterations.


WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Develop process flows, breaking down large, complex assemblies into a logical part flow of subassemblies and sub-processes
• Provide guidance on EBOM structure to align engineering definition with manufacturing needs.
• Write manufacturing documentation, such as work instructions, MBOMs, quality plans, inspection requirements, non-conformances, while also completing said work instructions, quality plans, and inspections alongside a team of technicians and inspectors
• Work as a conduit between the engineering technical data packages and the technicians to ensure products are manufactured as designed/analyzed
• Drive design for manufacturing (DFM) early in the development cycle, performing piece-part tolerance stack-ups, GD&T checks, and producibility assessments to ensure the vehicle design accommodates a robust, scalable build process.
• Develop the build process flow and partner with design engineers to ensure the design of the vehicle is structured to support that flow from the outset.
• Own the creation and management of the MBOM, ensuring it accurately reflects the as-built configuration and evolves with the design.
• Define the work execution strategy, including work instructions and part consumption against work orders, to enable an efficient and traceable build.
• Coordinate integration activities across the build, including process flow, schedule, and deconfliction of competing priorities on the floor.
• Be hands-on during the build, working alongside technicians and engineers to execute the manufacturing plan and resolve issues in real time.
• Capture lessons learned to drive improvements into the next units (Alpha 2 and beyond), closing the loop between build experience and design refinement.
• Embed yourself in the design process, serving as a day-to-day extension of design knowledge on the build floor and acting as the bridge between design intent and manufacturing reality.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in a technical field preferred such as engineering, math, or a hard science
• 8+ years of experience in a relevant field, preferably manufacturing or design of electromechanical hardware
• Demonstrated ability to creatively deliver electromechanical hardware in a resource-constrained environment
• Deep expertise in DFM, tolerance analysis, and GD&T, with the ability to influence design decisions directly
• Hands-on experience creating and managing MBOMs, work instructions, and build process flows
• An attitude of world-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail, and dedication
• A genuine interest in manufacturing and thirst for learning
• Candidates must demonstrate flexibility and dedication, being prepared to work extended hours and weekends when dictated by critical business priorities
• Regular travel between our various locations is an essential component of this role
• Must be eligible to obtain and hold a US security clearance