Manufacturing Engineer

About the role

A Manufacturing Engineer at Liquid Robotics designs, optimizes, and scales production processes for the family of Wave Glider uncrewed surface vessels (USV) and their complex electromechanical marine systems. This role bridges design engineering and volume production, aiming to make Wave Glider robots efficient and repeatable to build. The engineer will lead growth through new product introduction activities and expanding manufacturing capacity, taking full ownership of complex engineering challenges, rapidly troubleshooting manufacturing issues to keep high‑profile product launches and deliveries on schedule. They will shape manufacturing strategy from early product lifecycle through capacity expansion, scaling products and processes smoothly to prevent costly delays while maintaining the highest quality standards. All manufacturing processes must adhere to AS9100 quality standards, with workflows optimized for subsea reliability, pressure tolerance, and marine‑grade durability.

Responsibilities

• Define, validate, and document assembly procedures, test procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), process flows, and line layouts for the Wave Glider vessel and hardware.
• Build and improve assembly lines for subassemblies and components such as electronics payloads, sensor integrations, and cable assemblies.
• Write work instructions and train technicians.
• Define manufacturing routings in the ERP system and perform time and cost studies.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation including design control records, product configurations, manufacturing procedures, lot history records, bills‑of‑materials, and Quality System requirements.
• Review Change Orders (ECO, MCO, etc.) for impact and implementation.
• Participate in Change Control Board to determine item disposition and effectivity dates.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) to help transition prototypes into full production and meet customer deliverables.
• Perform or assist with prototype builds.
• Gain intimate knowledge of the Bills of Materials, Drawings, Sourcing, and all relevant specifications to ensure production readiness.
• Provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews, feedback, and guidance.
• Work with R&D and design engineering teams to improve build quality, ease of assembly, and reliability in harsh aquatic environments, and to reduce cost of design and manufacturing.
• Design and build custom jigs, fixtures, and test equipment for electromechanical integration, vehicle assembly, and pressure/waterproofing verification.
• Demonstrate proficiency in CAD design, rapid prototyping, tool/fixture qualification, and equipment sourcing.
• Production Support: Provide daily hands‑on troubleshooting and technical guidance to assembly technicians to maintain high production yield and consistency.
• Support and work with Quality to proactively address and resolve non‑conformances before they impact production.
• Continuous Improvement: Apply lean manufacturing principles to reduce scrap, optimize cycle times, and resolve root‑cause quality issues.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Experience: 9+ years of experience in manufacturing or production engineering involving complex electromechanical hardware, robotics, or autonomous systems with 5+ Manufacturing/Shop Floor experience. Aerospace, Defense, Marine, or Medical Device experience is a plus.

Skills

• Proven experience developing design control documentation, manufacturing procedures, and quality system records.
• Proficiency with Arena or another PLM system, NetSuite or another ERP system, 3D CAD Software (Solidworks preferred), and JIRA or similar system.
• A good understanding of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.
• Experience with electromechanical assembly, wiring harnesses, and IPC‑A‑610/620 standards.
• Extensive troubleshooting capabilities across mechanical, electrical, software, and instrumentation domains.
• Knowledge of marine‑specific manufacturing challenges (e.g., O‑ring sealing, galvanic corrosion, potting, and encapsulation).
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100 or ISO 9001 quality management systems.
• CAD Proficiency: Drawing revisions, rapid prototyping, and design for manufacturing analysis.
• Manufacturing Processes: Deep knowledge of precision assembly processes, and sourcing manufacturing tools, gauges, and fixtures.
• Preferred