Senior Manufacturing Engineer

About Knightscope Knightscope is a security technology company building the Nation’s First Autonomous Security Force. The Company combines autonomous machines, advanced software, and human expertise to help protect people, property, and critical infrastructure. Knightscope’s long-term mission is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world About The Role Knightscope is seeking a Senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineer to embed with both the K7 and K1 new product development programs during Alpha and Beta prototype phases and drive disciplined manufacturability integration prior to production release. Both the K1 and K7 programs are at the critical stage where design decisions begin to solidify, and production architecture must be defined. This role will provide authoritative Design for Manufacturability (DFM) leadership, influence engineering tradeoffs from a production perspective, and establish the manufacturing ramp framework before start of production. The individual will operate as the senior manufacturing counterpart to product engineering leadership and ensure structured transition from prototype to scalable production. Beyond the K7 and K1, this role will own manufacturing engineering process standards across current production products with engineers responsible for sustaining and process execution. Key Responsibilities K1 and K7 NPI & Production Ramp LeadershipEmbed with K1 and K7 development team during Alpha and Beta buildsLead Design for Manufacturability (DFM) integrationDefine production ramp architecture and yield stabilization planEnsure structured ECO integration prior to production release Manufacturing Process Ownership Own manufacturing process design and execution standardsDrive first-pass yield improvement and defect reductionEstablish scalable work instruction and revision disciplineIntegrate structured change control into production Legacy Platform Strengthening (K1-Hemisphere, K5 Autonomous Security Robot) Improve process stability and manufacturing efficiencyReduce recurring engineering-driven manufacturing issuesStandardize manufacturing engineering governance Facility Startup Technical Leadership (Emergency Communication Devices) Lead engineering-related manufacturing readiness for new facilityResolve technical startup challengesEnsure process stability and quality continuity during transition Team Leadership & Development Directly manage and develop two Manufacturing EngineersSet execution priorities across concurrent programsElevate technical capability and accountability within the teamEstablish clear manufacturing engineering ownership model Required Qualifications 10+ years Advanced Manufacturing Engineering experienceProven ownership of manufacturing processes in production environmentDemonstrated NPI leadership (multi-phase prototype to production)Experience stabilizing production ramps in complex electromechanical systemsStrong DFM authority and cross-functional influenceExperience mentoring or managing engineersAutomotive or high-complexity electro-mechanical systems experience preferred Compensation & Benefits Base Salary: $160,000 – $175,000 (DOE)Equity: Stock optionsBenefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time offLocation Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ