Director of Manufacturing Engineering

KRUSH Tech Inc; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly benefits stipend

9 paid federal holidays

Job summary

KRUSH Tech Inc. in Austin, TX seeks a Director of Manufacturing Engineering to lead the build-out of a new U.S. manufacturing facility and scale production for uncrewed aircraft systems.

You will design factory layouts, establish standards, drive Lean and Six Sigma, and recruit engineering managers while staying hands-on to solve on-floor challenges. This role demands startup agility, strategic oversight, and collaboration across Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, and Production to deliver safe,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, electrical, or manufacturing engineering.
• Master's degree in engineering, engineering management, or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years in manufacturing or operations engineering with 5+ years leading engineering managers.
• Proven track record standing up or scaling a production line or facility with NPI.
• Strong Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma experience including OEE/TPM.
• Experience with automation, test, and smart manufacturing technologies.
• Experience managing engineering and capital budgets.
• Excellent executive communication, change management, and talent development skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the manufacturing engineering strategy for the Austin site.
• Build and lead the engineering organization across multiple domains (process, product/manufacturing, industrial, test, NPI, maintenance).
• Own the technical preparation for manufacturing including factory layout, line design, tooling, work instructions, and equipment qualification.
• Lead NPI in partnership with Design Engineering to ensure manufacturability and scalability.
• Establish engineering standards, governance, and ECO processes.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence to improve safety, quality, throughput, and cost.
• Define and track performance metrics (OEE, yield, throughput, cost, on-time delivery).
• Plan and oversee capital projects with budgets and schedules; deliver on time and within budget.
• Lead automation and production data systems initiatives; improve asset reliability and lifecycle planning.
• Partner with Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, and Production to strengthen readiness and manage risk.

Skills

Leadership

Executive communication

Change management

Lean Six Sigma

Problem solving

Startup environment

Ambiguity navigation

Talent development

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, electrical, or manufacturing engineering

Master's degree in engineering, engineering management, or MBA

Tools

Automation technologies

Smart manufacturing systems

ERP and manufacturing software

Job description

ABOUT THE TEAM

KRUSH Tech is an international technology company developing advanced hardware solutions for defense, aerospace, communications, and autonomous systems. We're launching our U.S. operations from the ground up, building a next-generation, vertically integrated aerospace organization focused on advanced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), autonomy, and sensing technologies for the U.S. market and strategic partners. Our teams work across RF, embedded systems, electronics, mechanical engineering, software, manufacturing, and supply chain to turn some of the industry's most demanding engineering challenges into reliable, production-ready solutions, combining the agility of a startup with the ambition to compete at the leading edge of UAS and autonomous systems.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are seeking a Director of Manufacturing Engineering to lead the engineering organization that will stand up and scale production at our new advanced manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. Reporting to the Vice President, Manufacturing of the site, you will own the technical preparation for manufacturing, from factory and line design through test, new product introduction, equipment reliability, and capital projects, and build the team and standards that turn KRUSH's uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) designs into repeatable, high-rate production.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is energized by building from scratch. You will set strategy, hire and develop engineering managers, and stay close enough to the floor to solve problems as they arise. It is a rare opportunity to define how a U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturing operation is engineered from day one.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Develop and implement the manufacturing engineering strategy for the Austin site, aligned with KRUSH's production ramp, capacity plans, and technology roadmap
• Build and lead the engineering organization, including process, product/manufacturing, industrial, test and debug, new product introduction (NPI), and equipment and maintenance engineering
• Own the technical preparation for manufacturing, including factory layout, line design, tooling, work instructions, and equipment selection, installation, and qualification
• Lead new product introduction in partnership with Design Engineering, ensuring designs are manufacturable, testable, and ready to scale
• Establish engineering standards, governance, and change control, including engineering change order (ECO) processes
• Drive Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives to improve safety, quality, throughput, and cost
• Define and track performance metrics such as OEE, yield, throughput, cost, and on-time delivery, and hold the organization accountable for results
• Plan and oversee capital projects, approving designs, budgets, and schedules, and delivering them safely, on time, and within budget
• Lead automation and smart manufacturing initiatives, including test automation and production data systems
• Develop equipment reliability and asset strategies, including preventive and predictive maintenance, spare parts, and lifecycle planning
• Partner with Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, and Production leaders to strengthen quality, safety, and supply readiness, and lead risk assessments and root cause and corrective action efforts
• Ensure engineering practices meet quality, safety, environmental, and export control (ITAR/EAR) requirements
• Develop and manage the engineering and capital budgets, and present performance updates and recommendations to executive leadership
• Recruit, mentor, and develop engineering managers and high-potential talent, and build a culture of ownership and operational discipline

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, electrical, manufacturing, or a related engineering discipline
• 10+ years of manufacturing or operations engineering experience, including 5+ years leading engineering managers or multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Demonstrated success standing up or significantly scaling a production line or facility, including new product introduction
• Proven experience leading operational improvement and capital investment programs
• Strong Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma experience, including OEE and TPM
• Experience with automation, test, and smart manufacturing technologies
• Experience developing and managing engineering and capital budgets
• Strong executive communication, change management, and talent development skills
• Comfortable operating in a startup environment: hands-on, decisive, and able to work through ambiguity
• Must qualify as a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities (ITAR)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in engineering, engineering management, or an MBA
• Experience in aerospace, defense, UAS, or other highly regulated, high-mix manufacturing
• Experience with high-reliability electromechanical products such as battery packs, motors and actuators, composites, or electronics assembly
• Experience with greenfield facility build-outs or ramping from low-rate to high-rate production
• Working knowledge of AS9100, ITAR and EAR, and DoD manufacturing requirements
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, PE, or PMP certification

KRUSH Tech offers a competitive compensation package. Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual offers are determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on interview performance, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, and internal equity.

The salary range provided is a good faith estimate of the applicable range as of the date of posting. The final offer will be determined after considering all relevant factors, including a candidate's qualifications and experience.

In addition to base pay, KRUSH Tech offers a monthly benefits stipend that employees can apply toward the health, dental, vision, or other coverage that best fits their needs, along with 9 paid federal holidays per year.

Equal Opportunity Employer

KRUSH Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

KRUSH Tech is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process and during employment. If you require assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact Human Resources.