Manufacturing Engineer – Automotive Hardware

Frontdoor Defense; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

PTO

Stock Options

Job summary

Machina Labs is seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer for its Automotive division in Los Angeles. The role centers on transitioning development onto repeatable, production-ready processes, involving robotic forming, BOM management, and tooling design.

You will work closely with engineering and production to ensure manufacturability and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate brings 5+ years in manufacturing/operations engineering, experience with EBOM/MBOM, CAD tools (SolidWorks/NX), and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Manufacturing or Operations Engineering in production environments.

Responsibilities

• Support development, validation, and scaling of manufacturing processes for automotive components.
• Manage BOMs from EBOMs to MBOMs for efficient workflows.
• Design jigs, fixtures, and tooling using CAD and validate with analysis.
• Develop detailed work instructions and process documentation for repeatability.
• Assist production planning, routing, and scheduling with ERP/MRP.
• Improve workflows and layouts using Lean and 5S principles.
• Estimate manufacturing costs and recommend tooling or equipment needs.
• Collaborate with engineering and production to address manufacturability and changes.
• Troubleshoot fabrication, assembly, and process issues on the shop floor.
• Maintain manufacturing documentation and records for continuous improvement.

Skills

Manufacturing Engineering

Lean Manufacturing

5S principles

Cross-functional teamwork

ERP/MRP familiarity

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

3D CAD

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer – Automotive

Transition automotive components from development to repeatable, production-ready manufacturing processes

Location: Los Angeles, California

Compensation: $120,000 - 135,000 USD / year

About The Role

Manufacturing Engineer

Machina Labs is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support our Automotive department as we develop and scale advanced metal forming and manufacturing processes for automotive applications. In this hands-on role, you will work closely with engineering and production teams to transition automotive components and assemblies from development and prototype builds into repeatable, production-ready manufacturing processes. You will help improve manufacturability, tooling, process flow, quality, and production efficiency while supporting the integration of formed metal components into automotive applications. This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys working directly with hardware, solving manufacturing challenges on the production floor, and helping bring new automotive products and processes into reliable production.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development, validation, and scaling of manufacturing processes for automotive components and assemblies, including robotic metal forming and related fabrication operations.
• Manage Bills of Materials (BOMs), including translating Engineering BOMs (EBOMs) into Manufacturing BOMs (MBOMs) that support automotive component fabrication, assembly, routing, and material flow.
• Design and develop jigs, fixtures, and tooling for component fabrication, handling, assembly, and integration; use CAD and appropriate engineering analysis to validate designs.
• Develop detailed work instructions, assembly procedures, method sheets, and in-process documentation to ensure repeatability, quality, and process consistency.
• Support production planning activities including job planning, routing development, and scheduling; utilize ERP/MRP systems to manage work orders and coordinate production activities.
• Partner with production and facilities teams to improve automotive manufacturing workflows, work-cell layouts, material flow, and throughput using Lean Manufacturing and 5S principles.
• Estimate manufacturing costs, develop time standards, and recommend tooling or equipment requirements for new or evolving product lines.
• Collaborate with automotive engineering and production teams to assess design for manufacturability (DFM), address fit and integration considerations, and support engineering changes, first article inspections, and process improvements.
• Work directly with technicians and production teams to troubleshoot fabrication, assembly, dimensional, and process issues and improve manufacturing consistency.
• Maintain accurate manufacturing documentation, reporting systems, and operational records to support production and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Background & Experience:

• 5+ years of Manufacturing or Operations Engineering experience in hands-on production environments, ideally involving automotive components, metal fabrication, complex assemblies, or advanced manufacturing systems.
• Proven experience supporting low- to mid-volume production environments, including stabilizing processes, scaling operations, and managing engineering changes such as ECOs and process improvements.
• Strong experience managing BOM structures, including converting EBOMs to MBOMs for efficient manufacturing workflows.
• Proficiency designing production fixtures, jigs, and tooling using 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, NX, or similar platforms; experience performing simulations and FEA analysis.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment design, and process engineering principles, including Lean Manufacturing and 5S methodologies.
• Experience developing work instructions, routings, assembly procedures, and process documentation.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems for production planning, work order management, scheduling, and material tracking.
• Proficiency in 2D and 3D CAD for system layouts, schematics, and integrated mechanical system design.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work across engineering, production, and leadership teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with robotic or automated manufacturing cells, incremental sheet forming, or similar advanced manufacturing technologies.
• Experience supporting automotive component fabrication, prototype-to-production transitions, or integration of fabricated components into larger automotive assemblies.
• Background in precision, low-volume manufacturing, including robotic or automated manufacturing cells, incremental sheet forming, or similar metal forming technologies.
• Additional hands-on experience with automotive fabrication, automotive integration, machining, or general sheet metal fabrication is a plus.

$120,000 - $135,000 a year Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location. In addition to the provided base salary range, comprehensive benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision), PTO, and Stock Options.

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