Propulsion Integration Engineer

Our client are a venture capital-backed aerospace and defense technology company. The business is focused on building high-speed products that sustainably deliver asymmetric advantage to the Department of Defense and allied partners.

The Manufacturing Team are the boots on the ground. With a vast array of experiences ranging from welding, additive, tube bending, machining, integration, and avionics, they are a lean team who are responsible for building a vehicle that will fly. They provide crucial design feedback to the engineering team and can rapidly iterate on design and assembly.

• Support day-to-day manufacturing and production of the vehicle which includes but is not limited to: manufacturing processes such as machining, TIG/MIG welding, pressure testing, precision cleaning, additive manufacturing, non-destructive testing, heat treatment, and assembly
• Analyze and disposition recurring manufacturing discrepancies and lead multi-disciplinary teams on root cause analysis for corrective actions and mitigations
• Lead improvement projects to ensure that safety, reliability, and process capability goals are achieved, maintained, and improved
• Be a vital part of the relationship between our engineering and technician team
• Provide input into the design and development of new and existing hardware and take a lead role in the manufacturing and integration of our current and next-generation vehicles
• Provide subject matter expertise on multiple manufacturing processes and products
• Communicate on a daily basis with supporting departments such as production, machining, quality, and design engineering to ensure that the product is delivered on time
• Apply process improvement methodologies and tools (e.g. value stream mapping, problem-solving, visual management, etc.) to reduce manufacturing build hours and quality issues; increase production rates; and remove waste from complex processes
• You will manage projects and execute to tight timelines while effectively communicating to and influencing stakeholders
• You will train technicians, engineers, and leaders on best-in-class operations practices by leading process improvement workshops; providing training and information briefs on key topics; and personally, demonstrating by implementing solutions in the area
• You will work with design engineers to evaluate designs for manufacturability and test requirements, then implement in a rapidly evolving production environment
• You will ideate and implement tooling and test solutions, enabling high-quality built hardware

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering or a technical discipline
• Strong communication skills and ability to read and provide feedback on technical documents
• Ability to work overtime and weekends as needed
• Will sometimes be working directly with the hardware on the floor and will have to be comfortable stooping, bending, and standing
• Ability to make appropriate assumptions and perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to create rationale for clear recommendations
• Experience with high volume manufacturing, or design for manufacture and product development life cycle, or quality tools including root cause and corrective action, PFMEAs, QMS and process auditing and statistical analysis of quality metrics
• Experience with metallic manufacturing techniques and equipment for processes such as CNC fabrication, welding (orbital tube and TIG), precision cleaning, forming, inspection, etc.
• Demonstrated experience with CAD and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
• Experience in control and monitoring of complex automated systems and risk assessment/reduction of the system

• Experience in a startup development environment
• Experience working in a flight development program
• Experience working with Inconel and Titanium
• Experience working with 3D printed parts, castings, or forgings
• Experience transitioning parts from first article to production