Senior Manufacturing Engineer

AgZen is a fast-growing precision agriculture company headquartered in Somerville, MA, built on MIT research and focused on one problem: making crop spraying more efficient. Our flagship product, RealCoverage, is the world's first system that measures and controls droplet coverage at the leaf level, giving growers real-time visibility into spray performance and cutting chemical and water use by up to 50% without sacrificing yield.We are a small, technically deep team working at the intersection of fluid mechanics, computer vision, AI, and real agricultural environments. If you want to build technology with measurable impact on how the world grows food, this is the place to do it.About the RoleThis role is located in Somerville, MA (Boston area) with work required to be in-person. Travel to support AgZen's major manufacturing builds (seasonal) will be required.We are looking for a sharp, tenacious, and thorough Senior Manufacturing Engineer to join our team and lead AgZen's external manufacturing operations. As part of the hardware team, you'll be responsible for design, building, and testing RealCoverage units that run on sprayers around the world, as well as assisting in the development of new systems to enable further agricultural optimization. This role will be an essential resource for AgZen's contact manufacturer, component suppliers, operations department and dealer network. Strong communication, flexibility, teamwork, the desire to take on different responsibilities and own them will all be essential skills for a successful applicant.What You'll DoLead AgZen production runs in deep partnership with our contract manufacturer, ensuring high quality and on time unit delivery to customersOwn RealCoverage manufacturing documentation including bill of materials, drawings, PCB files, packing list, and test proceduresDevelop and execute manufacturing test plans including subsystem end-of-line tests, ICT/FCT of PCBs, and quality samplingDesign relevant hardware test stands, software interfaces, and vision calibration stages to validate unit build quality during manufacturingTranslate confirmed sales into build kits by assigning serial numbers, managing system shipping order and required configurationsOptimize project bill of materials, using DFM/DFA principles to ensure product quality while minimizing cost and labor hoursInterface with contract manufacturer engineers and assembly technicians toEscalate manufacturing issues up the technical chain if assistance or advice is needed while assessing risk and relevant production deadlinesRoot cause all issues that arise during production, including those in fabrication, procurement, documentation, or testingTrack build status and quality transparently for all stakeholders including engineering, operations, dealers, and customersInterface with operations team and dealers to ensure on time and complete delivery to customersManage NRE projects and relationships with key AgZen component suppliers/partners, spearheading development of AgZen hardware for future production runsDirect engineering testing, ensuring subsystems pass ingress protection, humidity, vibration, and accelerated lifecycle testing and receive relevant third party certificationsTrack system reliability through growing season, working with field team and dealer network to identify fleetwide issues and incorporate them into engineering action items, change orders, and future product designsFacilitate spare part tracking, inventory and replenishment at all of our global dealerships alongside the operations teamOwn manufacturing requirements definition, scheduling, FMEA, build execution and tracking, and build after action reports across the companyWhat We're Looking ForRequiredBachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical Engineering, or a related field5+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, process development, or advanced manufacturing, with a focus on strategic and systems-level problem solving, preferably in robotics, aerospace, or complex electromechanical systemsExcellent problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex mechanical and electromechanical assemblies quickly in a manufacturing environmentExpert in CAD software (SolidWorks, CATIA, or similar) for tool/fixture design and review of engineering drawings and strong understanding of GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing)Experience with creating and approving change orders associated with products, procedures, and BOMsProven track record of DFM/DFA collaboration with design teams to drive manufacturable and serviceable product designsExperience writing clear, concise, and detailed work instructions, SOPs, and training materials for assembly techniciansExperience working in production environments, with an ability to adapt processes for continuously evolving product designsExperience working on products that require high reliability at scale, where field failures have real operational consequencesStrong communication and influencing skills, with a proven ability to present and defend complex technical concepts to senior leadership and negotiate trade-offs with cross-functional partnersExperience supporting on-site prototype builds and providing direct manufacturing floor support - balancing countermeasures and corrective-actionsPreferredHands-on experience with additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, machining (e.g. Mill, Lathe) and fabrication (e.g. Welding, Grinding, Bending) techniques for developing and validating custom tooling, jigs, and fixtures to support precision mechanical assemblyExperience with agricultural, industrial, or other ruggedized hardware designed to operate in harsh environmentsDemonstrated experience applying Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and root cause analysis methodologies to drive process improvementExperience developing manufacturing tests for high-volume consumer productsExperience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems for engineering change control and manufacturing documentation managementExperience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)/PlatformsExperience working in a research-to-product transition environment, where designs and processes evolve rapidly each seasonExperience in design for mass production of multi-part products and assemblies [DFM, DFA]Experience with manufacturing ISO/ANSI standards in areas including quality management, safety, clarity, and surface qualityWorking experience with quality processes and systems (process control, 8D and other RCCA frameworks, etc.)What We OfferThe opportunity to make an immediate and visible impact in a fast-growing company, competitive salary, early-employee equity, 401(k) with employer matching, 6 weeks of PTO, paid holidays and health insurance.#J-18808-Ljbffr