Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering Leader

AV; Petaluma (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

401K with company match

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

AV in Petaluma, CA, is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead the unmanned systems manufacturing engineering function. The role focuses on strategic and hands-on leadership for developing and continuously improving manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, tooling, and documentation to ensure readiness and capability across production operations.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years in manufacturing/engineering, strong Lean and Six Sigma experience, and a proven track record in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in Manufacturing Engineering or related fields.
• 3+ years of leadership or management of engineering teams.
• Experience in aerospace/defense or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Experience with assembly, tooling, and automated manufacturing systems.
• Travel up to ~30% to supplier or contract-manufacturer sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the manufacturing engineering team.
• Establish strategies, standards, and performance objectives.
• Plan, design, and improve manufacturing systems and processes for UAV production.
• Develop capacity models and capital equipment requirements.
• Direct the development and support of tooling, fixtures, and automation.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for process issues.
• Manage budgets, capital requisitions, and project schedules.
• Coordinate with suppliers and cross-functional teams to ensure readiness.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Leadership

Cross-functional Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

Minitab

CAD (SolidWorks)

Oracle

Microsoft Office

Project

Job description

AV in Petaluma, CA, is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead the unmanned systems manufacturing engineering function. The role focuses on strategic and hands-on leadership for developing and continuously improving manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, tooling, and documentation to ensure readiness and capability across production operations.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years in manufacturing/engineering, strong Lean and Six Sigma experience, and a proven track record in