Lead Advanced Manufacturing Engineer - Automation & ScaleUp

Divergent; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 106,000 - 146,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity plan

Discretionary bonus opportunities

Paid vacation & holidays

Paid parental leave

Health benefits (HMO & PPO)

Professional development support

Job summary

Divergent is hiring an Advance Manufacturing engineer to lead day‑to‑day operations for machining, automated assembly, anodize, inspection, and cleaning work centers. You will be the primary technical resource, troubleshooting production issues and driving scalable processes across automotive, aerospace, and defense programs.

The ideal candidate has aerospace/defense shop floor experience, excels at problem solving, and will push for process improvements to improve quality, speed, and

Qualifications

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US export controls.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace or defense industries.
• Hands‑on experience with advanced manufacturing techniques, including additive manufacturing, robotics, coatings, & inspection/quality.
• Direct experience with machining, additive manufacturing, coatings, & inspection/quality.
• Proficiency in CAD/CAM software (e.g., Siemens NX, AutoCAD,)
• Advanced knowledge of CNC machining, structure assembly, GD&T, tooling, & metrology.
• Experience evaluating, selecting and commissioning of machines to meet manufacturing capabilities.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and ability to innovate in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to work on multiple projects and initiatives in parallel

Responsibilities

• Own daily production execution, working directly with production floor to resolve issues, and ensure steady throughput.
• Develop and implement best practices, processes, strategies, and calibration procedures to improve operational capacity.
• Monitor utilization and WIP flow through the work centers, help push/pull work as needed to maintain alignment with production targets.
• Act as the technical bridge between design/manufacturing engineering and production teams.
• Lead development, execution, and continuous improvement of machining, automated assembly, automated anodize, inspection, and cleaning work centers.
• Collaborate on programming for 3-axis, 3+2, and 5-axis CNC mills using Siemens NX CAM software.
• Provide feedback using advanced understanding of GD&T, tooling, feeds/speeds, & fixturing.
• Introduce standardized strategies, programming conventions, and setup documentation to improve consistency and reduce cycle time.
• Leverage metrology and inspection expertise to drive quality assurance in production.
• Help lead efforts to integrate new machines, equipment, tools, and fixturing into production; support commissioning.
• Co-Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM) conversations with Manufacturing engineering to improve part manufacturability and reduce complexity at the machine.
• Develop and implement innovative fixturing strategies tailored for complex additive manufactured geometries.
• Support integration of automated machining technologies to enhance scalability and precision.
• Analyze data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and root causes of scrap or delays; implement corrective actions and process improvements.
• Create and maintain detailed documentation to ensure consistency and repeatability across shifts and teams.
• Collaborate with software and data teams to integrate production metrics and feedback loops into real-time dashboards and planning systems.

Skills

Export controls compliance

GD&T

CNC machining

Metrology

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Multiple projects

Troubleshooting

Education

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

Master's degree in mechanical/manufacturing/aerospace engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

AutoCAD

Job description

Divergent is hiring an Advance Manufacturing engineer to lead day‑to‑day operations for machining, automated assembly, anodize, inspection, and cleaning work centers. You will be the primary technical resource, troubleshooting production issues and driving scalable processes across automotive, aerospace, and defense programs.

The ideal candidate has aerospace/defense shop floor experience, excels at problem solving, and will push for process improvements to improve quality, speed, and