Principal Manufacturing Engineer

About Verterra Energy

Verterra Energy is an R&D-driven energy technology company building real hardware that must operate in demanding water environments. We're on a mission to harness the power in the world's rivers, canals and oceans, commercializing our first device called VOLTURNUS, a pioneering water-power technology that deploys in harmony with the current to capture baseline, zero emission electricity. Backed by top-tier investors and a multi-year government contract, we are growing our founding team to help achieve key milestones. Partners and collaborators include: NIRON, DoD, DoE, University of Minnesota, WEG Group, Beckhoff, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Role Overview

We are seeking a senior-level manufacturing leader who has built production systems end-to-end for complex electromechanical products - not just optimized a workstation within an existing factory. You will architect and stand up Verterra's production capability for full-system builds of the Volturnus hydrokinetic turbine. This is whole-system ownership, from beginning to end. You will own how the entire Volturnus gets built: structure, composites, drivetrain, power electronics, controls, final assembly, and end-of-line test. Very few manufacturing leaders ever get the opportunity to define production for a complete, first-of-its-kind machine from a blank sheet - this is that opportunity.

This includes defining the production strategy, facility layout, assembly flow, tooling, quality systems, supplier integration, test strategy, and ramp plan. You will work cross-functionally with electrical, mechanical, composites, and test engineers to ensure designs are manufacturable and scalable. This role requires someone who has personally led the transition from engineering builds to structured production and understands the realities of throughput, takt time, yield, rework, supply chain constraints, and cost control.

Core Responsibilities

• Production System Architecture: Define the end-to-end production strategy for Verterra products; develop facility layout and material flow plans; design scalable assembly sequences and build flow; establish production cell structure and station design; define tooling, fixtures, and required capital equipment
• DFM and Cross-Functional Integration: Drive design-for-manufacturing reviews across mechanical, electrical, and composite systems; identify design changes required to reduce assembly complexity and variability; ensure tolerances, stack-ups, and interfaces support repeatable builds; work closely with engineering to prevent "prototype-only" thinking
• Tooling, Fixtures, and Capital Equipment: Specify, design, or oversee development of assembly tooling and production fixtures; define torque strategies, bonding processes, electrical integration processes, etc.; evaluate and select capital equipment required for repeatable production; ensure production tools support safety, ergonomics, and repeatability
• Supplier & Production Readiness: Develop supplier qualification and incoming quality frameworks; define make-vs-buy strategies; work with suppliers to ensure manufacturability and consistent quality; establish inspection criteria and acceptance standards
• Test & Validation in Production: Define production test strategy for full-system validation; develop end-of-line test requirements and pass/fail criteria; ensure traceability and documentation standards are implemented; establish rework and failure analysis processes
• Ramp & Scale: Develop production ramp plans with throughput targets; define labor models and skill requirements; implement quality control systems appropriate for early production; reduce variability and improve yield over time; drive cost reduction initiatives without compromising reliability
• Benchmarking & Outside Learning: Identify and benchmark companies we can learn from - hardware startups that have made the prototype-to-production leap for complex electromechanical systems (marine energy, eVTOL and aerospace, defense hardware, wind, EV, and similar), as well as established manufacturers who have done comparable work; use site visits, peer conversations, and published case studies to extract lessons on facility layout, tooling, quality systems, supplier models, and ramp strategy; adapt proven practices to Verterra's product and scale rather than reinventing from scratch; build a network of peer manufacturing leaders Verterra can continue to learn from as production scales

Minimum Qualifications

• 18+ years of manufacturing engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience leading the setup of a full product manufacturing line from concept through ramp
• Experience with complex electromechanical products (not just subassemblies or single components)
• Proven track record transitioning from prototype builds to structured production
• Deep understanding of production flow, yield, takt time, throughput modeling, and cost drivers
• Experience designing production tooling and fixtures
• Experience working cross-functionally with product engineering teams
• Strong understanding of quality systems and production documentation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in marine, energy, aerospace, heavy equipment, or similar durability-focused industries
• Experience building production capability inside a startup or early-stage company
• Experience setting up low-to-mid volume production (not just mass consumer scale)
• Experience with composite, power electronics, and mechanical system integration
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production data tracking
• Track record of benchmarking other manufacturers and adapting best practices to a new production environment

What Success Looks Like

• Production flow is defined, documented, and executable
• Assembly variability decreases over time
• Engineering designs become increasingly manufacturable
• Tooling and fixtures reduce build time and rework
• Production ramp occurs without structural quality failures
• Cost per unit trends downward as throughput increases
• Our production system reflects proven practices benchmarked from comparable companies, adapted to Volturnus and our scale
• Verterra moves from "engineering builds" to disciplined production

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company-paid life, disability, and basic protection
• 401(k) with employer match
• Unlimited paid time off + 2 weeks sick and safe leave
• 7 company-paid holidays: New Year's Day (January 1), Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day
• Stocked kitchen