Manufacturing Engineer III

Job Description

The Manufacturing Engineer III designs and operates the manufacturing systems for AeroVironment's Unmanned 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.

Position 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
• 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

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• 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%)

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• 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
• 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

Physical Demands

Ability to work in an office environment (Constant) Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Occasionally may be required to travel Internationally and within the Continental U.S.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.