Manufacturing Engineer, Battery Assembly

Socket.dev; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401k

Relocation support

Flexible vacation

Equity

Job summary

Hadrian is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to join our expanding battery pack assembly team in Los Angeles. This hands-on role involves developing processes for our pilot assembly line and working closely with specialists to ensure safe production.

The ideal candidate will have experience in manufacturing engineering with knowledge in battery assembly techniques. Benefits include comprehensive insurance, a flexible vacation policy, and potential relocation support.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of manufacturing or process engineering experience needed.
• Experience in battery pack or module assembly preferred.
• Knowledge of joining processes like laser or ultrasonic welding is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve assembly processes on the pilot line.
• Design and build fixtures and tooling for the production line.
• Support testing and qualification of battery packs.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Battery pack assembly

Root cause analysis

Process improvement

Welding techniques

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We're accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Role

Hadrian is expanding our battery pack assembly team and is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to help bring our pilot battery pack assembly line from concept to a working, repeatable, and safe production line. This is a hands-on role. Working alongside the Battery Pack Engineering Lead and a small team of specialists, you'll develop and refine the processes, fixturing, and tooling that turn cells into qualified packs. You'll get deep exposure to pack and module assembly, cell joining, thermal management, test, and safety, with room to grow your ownership as the line scales.

What You'll Do

• Develop, document, and improve assembly processes across the pilot line: cell intake and sorting/matching, module and pack build sequence, busbar and interconnect assembly, thermal interface application, enclosure, and potting/sealing
• Support cell joining process development (laser / ultrasonic / resistance welding), including weld parameter development, qualification builds, and in-process verification
• Design and build fixturing, stations, and tooling for the pilot line, with an eye toward eventual automation on Hadrian's robotics and software platform
• Write and maintain clear work instructions, process control plans, and standard work for assembly operations
• Support electrical test, formation, and characterization processes, and help define and execute pack-level acceptance testing
• Implement cell-level traceability and lot control on the line, partnering with Quality on inspection plans and nonconformance dispositions
• Run root cause and corrective action on process issues, yield losses, and equipment problems; drive improvements to yield, throughput, and cost
• Support battery safety practices on the floor, including safe handling procedures, thermal runaway mitigation measures, and compliance testing activities (e.g., UN 38.3 transport)
• Partner cross-functionally with design (mechanical/electrical/thermal), automation/controls, supply chain, quality/qualification, and program teams to move the line toward production readiness

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Materials, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field
• 2+ years of manufacturing or process engineering experience, ideally with hands‑on exposure to battery pack or module assembly, energy storage, or another electro‑mechanical assembly environment
• Working knowledge of at least one cell joining or precision joining process (laser, ultrasonic, or resistance welding, or comparable processes)
• Experience developing fixturing, tooling, or work instructions for assembly operations
• Comfort working on the production floor: building, testing, breaking, and fixing things yourself
• Strong problem‑solving fundamentals, including structured root cause analysis and data‑driven process improvement
• Ability to operate with limited direction in a fast‑moving, ambiguous, build‑it‑now environment
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) per ITAR; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

What Will Set You Apart

• Direct battery pack or module assembly experience, especially in aerospace, defense, UAS, eVTOL, EV, or other safety‑critical applications
• Hands‑on weld development experience for tabs and busbars, including weld qualification and destructive/non‑destructive evaluation
• Familiarity with battery safety standards and testing (UN38.3, UL/IEC, abuse testing)
• Experience with electrical test, formation, or pack characterization
• Exposure to automation, robotics, or designing processes for high‑rate production
• Experience with traceability systems, MES, or lot control in a regulated or quality‑driven environment
• Experience in a high‑growth or startup manufacturing environment

Benefits for Full‑time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
• 401k
• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy
• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.