Staff Advanced Manufacturing Engineer
Location: Frisco, TX
Salary: $120,000 – $190,000 annually
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Position Overview
As a Staff Advanced Manufacturing Engineer, you’ll take ownership of critical manufacturing processes across multiple programs and play a key role in scaling next-generation aerospace production. You’ll lead initiatives focused on increasing throughput, reducing costs, improving quality, and establishing manufacturing systems capable of supporting rapid production growth.
A major focus of this role will be helping build the manufacturing infrastructure for a new production line supporting a next-generation aircraft, including the selection and deployment of capital equipment, implementation of manufacturing hardware and software, development of production processes, and establishment of scalable factory systems.
You’ll work at the intersection of engineering, production, quality, and supply chain, serving as a technical leader who can move seamlessly between high-level manufacturing strategy and hands-on execution on the factory floor. You’ll also mentor other manufacturing engineers and help establish the processes, standards, and culture needed to scale production successfully.
This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced manufacturing engineer who enjoys technical ownership, cross-functional leadership, prototype-to-production execution, and solving complex manufacturing challenges in a rapidly evolving environment.
What You’ll Do
Manufacturing Process Development
- Define the Bill of Process (BOP) and manufacturing sequence for assigned subassemblies, production cells, and systems.
- Translate the Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM) into detailed manufacturing operations, tooling requirements, process controls, and production workflows.
- Develop scalable manufacturing processes for prototype and production environments.
- Evaluate manufacturing requirements and identify opportunities to improve manufacturability, quality, cost, and throughput.
- Support the development and implementation of new production lines, cells, equipment, and manufacturing technologies.
Production Systems & Workstation Development
- Design and implement ergonomic workstations optimized for operator safety, efficiency, and repeatability.
- Establish appropriate height and reach zones, point-of-use material presentation, shadow boards, calibrated torque tools, ESD controls, and other workstation requirements.
- Develop operator-ready visual work instructions incorporating torque specifications, PPE requirements, inspection points, photographs/illustrations, and revision-controlled documentation.
- Establish standardized work, visual controls, job aids, and layered audit systems.
- Work directly with operators and technicians to continuously improve production processes and documentation.
Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement
- Conduct time studies and analyze takt time, cycle time, capacity, and production flow.
- Identify bottlenecks and lead Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing initiatives to improve throughput and eliminate waste.
- Establish process metrics and use data-driven analysis to improve manufacturing performance.
- Apply Lean, 5S, SPC, DOE, PFMEA, Control Plans, and structured root-cause analysis to manufacturing challenges.
- Capture shop-floor lessons learned, defects, build issues, tooling feedback, and process improvements.
- Lead corrective actions and implement sustainable solutions to prevent recurring issues.
Quality & Production Readiness
- Partner with Quality Engineering to establish in-process inspections, error-proofing, process controls, and first article inspection (FAI) readiness.
- Support PFMEA development, Control Plans, process validation, and production readiness activities.
- Implement Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and ensure manufacturing processes and work instructions are updated accordingly.
- Validate process changes before release to production.
- Support investigations into manufacturing defects and drive root cause and corrective action.
Manufacturing Technology & Equipment
- Support the selection, specification, installation, and deployment of capital equipment and manufacturing technologies.
- Evaluate opportunities for automation, advanced tooling, additive manufacturing, digital manufacturing, and other emerging technologies.
- Collaborate with equipment suppliers, engineering teams, and production personnel to integrate new technologies into manufacturing operations.
- Develop and improve tooling, fixtures, workholding, and specialized manufacturing equipment.
- Help establish the hardware and software infrastructure required to support a scalable production environment.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner with Design Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders to ensure manufacturing requirements are incorporated throughout product development.
- Provide manufacturing expertise during design reviews, build planning, and production-readiness activities.
- Lead complex manufacturing initiatives across multiple programs and competing priorities.
- Communicate technical risks, recommendations, project status, and manufacturing performance to engineering and leadership teams.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to other manufacturing engineers.
- Serve as a senior technical resource for complex manufacturing and production-system challenges.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production systems, process development, assembly engineering, or a related field.
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related STEM discipline.
- Experience developing and implementing manufacturing processes in a prototype, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, startup, or rapid-growth environment.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, with experience in one or more of the following:
- Machining
- Composites
- Avionics
- Mechanical/electromechanical assembly
- Aerospace manufacturing
- Demonstrated experience taking manufacturing processes from prototype development through production implementation and scale-up.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing systems, process controls, tooling, work instructions, and production flow.
- Experience working in a fast-paced environment with rapidly changing priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects and influence teams without direct authority.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
- Hands-on approach with the ability to work directly with production teams and troubleshoot issues on the factory floor.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working within AS9100, ISO 9001, or other regulated quality systems.
- Experience with MES and QMS platforms and digitally controlled manufacturing documentation.
- Proficiency with CAD software.
- Experience using Minitab, Excel, or similar tools for SPC, capability analysis, DOE, and statistical process analysis.
- Familiarity with advanced manufacturing technologies, including:
- Automation and robotics
- Additive manufacturing
- Digital manufacturing systems
- Automated inspection
- Advanced tooling and fixturing
- Hands-on experience designing or implementing manufacturing equipment, tooling, fixtures, and workstations.
- Experience with torque analyzers and calibrated assembly equipment.
- Experience with ergonomic assessment and workstation optimization.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple programs, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
What Success Looks Like
In this role, success means building manufacturing systems that are safe, repeatable, efficient, scalable, and ready for production growth. You’ll be expected to identify problems before they become production constraints, turn lessons learned into improved processes, and help create a manufacturing environment capable of supporting the next generation of aerospace products.
If you’re an experienced manufacturing engineer who wants to have a direct impact on factory-scale execution, production technology, and the future of aerospace manufacturing, this is an opportunity to make that impact from day one.