Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering Leader

AeroVironment, Inc.; Petaluma (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking an Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead the manufacturing engineering function for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle production.

The role focuses on developing, implementing, and improving manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, tooling, and documentation while ensuring readiness and efficiency. You will drive Lean and Six Sigma programs, capacity planning, and capital equipment strategies, partnering with Design Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a technical field.
• 8+ years in Manufacturing/Engineering roles.
• 3+ years leading manufacturing engineering teams.
• Experience in aerospace/defense or regulated environments.
• Strong knowledge of Lean & Six Sigma.
• Experience with electro‑mechanical manufacturing, BOMs, and production docs.
• Experience with capacity planning, capital equipment, and process improvement.
• Willingness to travel up to ~30%.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the manufacturing engineering team and manage performance.
• Set manufacturing engineering strategies, standards, and priorities.
• Plan and improve manufacturing systems, processes, and facility capabilities for UAV production.
• Develop capacity models and capital equipment plans for new/existing products.
• Oversee equipment specs, qualification, and support plans; update docs.
• Lead Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to improve productivity and quality.
• Sponsor Value Stream Mapping and other process improvements.
• Lead Make/Buy analyses with cross‑functional teams.
• Provide input to new product development for manufacturability and cost.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

People leadership

Project management

Minitab

Oracle

Agile

CAD systems

SolidWorks

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Manufacturing Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Minitab

Oracle

CAD/ SolidWorks

Agile

Job description

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking an Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead the manufacturing engineering function for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle production.

The role focuses on developing, implementing, and improving manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, tooling, and documentation while ensuring readiness and efficiency. You will drive Lean and Six Sigma programs, capacity planning, and capital equipment strategies, partnering with Design Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain