Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Rainmaker

$120K — $150K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent experience.
  • Knowledge of PCB manufacturing processes and IPC class 2 and class 3 standards.
  • Experience with CAD tools, PLM/ERP systems, and documentation platforms.
  • Understanding of manufacturing processes such as fabrication, machining, and anodizing.
  • 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, preferably in aerospace or complex hardware environments.
  • Familiarity with AI coding/prompt-based tools for documentation and process automation.
  • Strong attention to detail with experience in drafting build and maintenance instructions.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate closely with Engineering on design revisions for the drone platform.
  • Draft precise build instructions for new revisions to enable consistent technician execution.
  • Develop and maintain maintenance procedures, enhancing product reliability.
  • Act as a liaison for communication between production and engineering teams regarding changes.
  • Establish quality assurance processes to uphold manufacturing standards.
  • Lead root-cause investigations and suggest process improvements following engineering changes.
  • Maintain version control and traceability of all documentation related to builds and maintenance.

Benefits

  • Significant stock options with high upside potential for early-stage employees.
  • 401(k) plan with employer matching to support retirement savings.
  • Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Relocation assistance for candidates needing to move for the role.
  • Unlimited PTO to promote work-life balance.
  • Paid parental leave for both parents to support family needs.
  • In-office lunch provided along with a fully stocked kitchenette for employees.
  • Free EV charging at headquarters to support sustainable transportation options.
Full Job Description
We're looking for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to serve as the critical link between Engineering and Production as our drone platform evolves. You'll own the process of translating design revisions into actionable build and maintenance documentation, and ensure the production floor is always working from the latest, most accurate build standards.

What You'll Do

  • Engineering Coordination: Partner closely with Engineering to understand, plan, and roll out design revisions and changes to the drone platform.
  • Build Documentation: Draft clear, precise build instructions for new revisions and engineering changes, ensuring technicians can execute builds consistently and correctly.
  • Maintenance Documentation: Develop and maintain maintenance procedures for drone systems, supporting reliability and serviceability throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Production Liaison: Coordinate with the production team to communicate changes to build processes, ensuring smooth implementation on the floor with minimal disruption to throughput or quality.
  • Build out quality assurance processes
  • Support root-cause investigations and process improvements tied to engineering changes.
  • Maintain version control and traceability of build/maintenance documentation as revisions are released.
  • Support training of production staff on new or updated build processes as needed.
  • Work with procurement to ensure purchasing happens in a timely manner
  • identify improvements in equipment, jigs, or assembly workflows, general shop management.


Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
  • Well versed with PCB manufacturing processes and quality standards, IPC class 2 and class 3.
  • Experience with CAD tools, PLM/ERP systems, and documentation platforms.
  • Well versed with manufacturing processes like fabrication, machining, anodizing, etc
  • 5+ years of industry experience in manufacturing engineering, ideally within aerospace, robotics, drones, or another complex hardware environment.
  • Comfortable working across multiple software systems and platforms to manage documentation, revisions, and production data (PLM/ERP, file management systems, internal tools).
  • Experience or familiarity using AI coding/prompt-based tools (e.g., Codex, ChatGPT, Copilot) to support technical documentation, scripting, or process automation - including writing clear, effective prompts to get useful output.
  • Proven experience drafting technical build instructions, work instructions, or maintenance procedures.
  • Strong cross-functional communication skills - comfortable working between Engineering and Production teams.
  • Experience managing engineering change orders (ECOs) or similar revision-control processes.
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to translate technical designs into clear, actionable instructions for production technicians.


$120,000 - $150,000 a year

Benefits:
  • Significant stock options with high potential upside as an early-stage company
  • 401(k) with employer matching
  • Full health coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance)
  • Relocation assistance provided (if applicable)
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Paid parental leave for both parents
  • Lunch provided when working in-office and a fully stocked kitchenette
  • Free EV charging at the HQ

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