Manufacturing Engineer

About the Company

We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.

The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company's direction on a regular basis.

Our team includes individuals with experience at SpaceX, Tesla, Apple, Relativity, the U.S. military, and leading steel fabricators. We operate as an idea meritocracy—where the best ideas win—and we're building the most capable engineering and operations team on the planet.

About the Job

Our core technology is the node, a device that produces energy in the ocean's harshest conditions for years at a time without human maintenance or intervention.

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will build the systems that allow us to make our hardware in-house—reliably, repeatably, and at scale. This role owns the design and stand-up of work centers, process flows, test architecture, and production documentation for complex electromechanical assemblies and precision turbomachinery components.

You will partner closely with Design Engineering to understand new components and assemblies, translate them into practical production systems, and help shape our factory ramp strategy. We are building this function from the ground up. You'll help define how we build.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, document, and improve manufacturing and test processes that deliver high quality and high throughput
• Design and procure assembly tooling and fixtures that improve ergonomics, efficiency, and quality control
• Lead root cause analysis for manufacturing issues; improve yield, reduce cost, and close technical gaps during production
• Build production work cells from scratch, including SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation
• Establish process controls and support quality systems to meet ISO 9001 and internal quality requirements
• Partner with Design Engineering to provide clear, practical DFM feedback on new products
• Collaborate with Logistics and Production to design inventory control processes, implement kanban systems, and define handling procedures
• Support Supply Chain with make vs. buy analysis and vendor technical feedback
• Work with Enterprise Architecture to define requirements for our manufacturing execution system (MES)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
  3+ years of experience in a high-mix manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience with DFM, lean manufacturing principles, and assembly fixture design
• Working knowledge of modern manufacturing equipment and automation solutions
• Familiarity with quality management systems such as ISO 9001 in an engineering and production setting
• Clear communicator who can work effectively across Design Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Enterprise Architecture, Facilities, Logistics, and Production
• Track record of improving yield, throughput, or cost through structured problem solving

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with electromechanical assemblies and enclosures, including PCBAs, cable harnessing, and mechanical integration
• Experience manufacturing complex, high-precision metal components, including turbomachinery or similar high-performance mechanical systems
• Experience with fluid systems, leak testing, watertight assemblies, or heat exchangers
• Experience working with hardware designed for corrosive environments, including material selection, coatings, cleaning, and handling processes
• Exposure to electronics checkout, environmental testing (thermal and vibration), and integrated assembly acceptance testing
• Familiarity with ESD-compliant production environments
• Exposure to PCBA and cable harness manufacturing supply chains
• Experience supporting both prototyping/R&D builds and scaled production
• Proven experience standing up production lines or work cells

The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.

Compensation and Benefits:

If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:

• Cash compensation of $125,000 - $155,000
• Equity in the company. We're all owners and if we're successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
  • Flexible paid time off
  • Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold level PPO plan for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Dental insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees and 100% for their partners and dependents)
  • Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long term financial support if you become disabled)
  • Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location:

This is an on-site position. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon.