Manufacturing Engineer, Sr.

Full-time - Mid Level

Petaluma, CA

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Manufacturing Engineer III designs and operates the manufacturing systems for AeroVironment's Uncrewed Air Vehicles. In this role, the Manufacturing Engineer chooses the best technologies and processes for manufacturing, planning, and designing the factory as well as managing the maintenance & continuous improvement of the manufacturing process. One has strong knowledge in manufacturing production processes, specifically creating, monitoring automated systems, and transitioning products through R&D, NPI and Production. One defines, maintains, and supports manufacturing processes utilized in the manufacture of Medium Uncrewed Air Vehicles.

Responsibilities

• Creates and manages equipment specifications, equipment documentation for development, qualification and support of assembly and test equipment for production
• Implement Lean Manufacturing principles and apply Six Sigma methodology to achieve continuous improvement in productivity, quality, and lead time
• Generate Value Stream Maps to reduce cycle time, waste, variation, and low production yields
• Works on Manufacturing Strategies and capacity models for new and current products, including estimation and maintenance of capital requisitions
• Generates new and reviews existing work instructions, assembly procedures and supporting documentation controlling the manufacturing process
• Cost estimating of new tooling and fixtures required to support production floor. Leads Make/Buy analysis on assemblies with cross-functional team
• Performs Design for Manufacturing, cost, and reliability analysis on new products with the design engineering team
• Works with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure receipt of conforming parts and assemblies
• Works on problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or similar field is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 5 - 8 years of experience in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, Test Engineering or similar field in Aerospace, Automotive, or Commercial industries
• Experienced in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Methodology is required
• Experienced with electro-mechanical manufacturing, drawings, procedures and Bill of Materials is required
• Experienced using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, Access, Project), MiniTab, Oracle, Agile, and CAD programs (SolidWorks is preferred)
• Occasional travel to supplier sites (up to 30%)

Nice-to-haves

• Advanced degree is preferred
• Specific experience with sheet metal fabrication, plastics, composite layups, printed circuit board assembly, mechanical assembly, calibration and testing processes is desired
• Organization/planning, communication (oral and written), time management, conflict management, ability to manage stress, deadlines and work independently
• Demonstrates competency as a problem solver who is familiar with root cause analysis techniques
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Demonstrates effective time management, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
• Excels at teamwork, collaboration and putting the success of the team above one's own interests

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• 401K with company matching
• 9/80 work schedule
• Paid holiday shutdown