Process Engineer

persona.ai; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Persona AI in Houston is seeking a Senior Process Engineer to build the production system for humanoid robots from the ground up. You will own the manufacturing process architecture, including layout, flow, equipment, and line scalability.

This role requires 10–15+ years in manufacturing, deep lean expertise, and hands-on floor leadership. You will collaborate with Quality, Supply Chain, and engineering to ensure production readiness and continuous improvement as we scale.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years in manufacturing or process engineering in a complex hardware environment
• Experience building production systems from the ground up
• Experience implementing MES systems (Tulip, ProPlanner, or like)
• Deep knowledge of factory layout, line design, and process flow
• Hands-on lean manufacturing: standard work, poka-yoke, 5S, kaizen, value stream mapping
• Strong DFM/DFA instincts and ability to push back on designs
• Experience specifying and integrating capital equipment
• Ability to read GD&T and assembly documentation
• Comfortable leading on the floor and collaborating with technicians
• Houston-based or willing to relocate

Responsibilities

• Factory Layout & Process Flow: design the manufacturing environment and how parts move through stations
• Process Development: document robot build sequence and create work instructions
• Equipment Specification & Procurement: select and justify capital equipment and tooling
• Metrics & Visual Management: create floor metrics and status displays for clarity
• Poka-Yoke & Error-Proofing: design fixtures ensuring correct builds
• Continuous Improvement: optimize cycle time, yield, throughput, and cost
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: work with Quality, Supply Chain, and engineering
• Root Cause Analysis: lead failure analyses using 8D, CAPA and related tools
• Compliance & Safety: pursue ISO9001 and safety certifications for humanoid robots

Skills

Production systems design

Lean manufacturing

Factory layout

Process flow

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

DFM/DFA instincts

Capital equipment selection

GD&T interpretation

Floor leadership

Tools

Tulip MES

ProPlanner MES

Job description

Job Title: Senior Process Engineer

Department: Manufacturing

Reports To: Head of Global Manufacturing

Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Houston, TX

Persona AI is developing and commercializing rugged, multi-purpose humanoid robots that perform real work. Persona's founding team has a decades-long history in humanoid robotics, bionics, and product development delivering robust hardware that has touched the stars, worked miles below the surface of the ocean, roamed Disney Parks, and has even been featured on a US postage stamp. Our mission is focused squarely on shipping beautiful, reliable products at massive scale, while building a customer-focused team to achieve these aims.

Role Overview:

We're looking for a Senior Process Engineer to join our manufacturing team and build Persona's production system from the ground up. This person will report into and function as the right hand to Persona’s Head of Manufacturing. You will lead the development implementation and optimization of a robust manufacturing process of complex humanoid robots. You'll own the complete manufacturing process architecture: including process development, assembly sequencing, factory layout, and scalability.

Responsibilities:

• Factory Layout & Process Flow: Own the physical and operational design of Persona's manufacturing environment. How the factory is laid out, how sub-assemblies and finished robots move through the space, and how each station connects to the next. Think flow, not in tasks.

• Process Development: Define and document every step in the robot build sequence from incoming components to final test. Build the work instructions, station designs, and standard work that make every build repeatable regardless of who's on the floor.

• Equipment Specification & Procurement: Identify, spec, and own the capital equipment and tooling needed to build robots right. You'll make the call on what to buy, justify it, and integrate it into the line.

• Metrics & Visual Management: Design the factory floor metrics and display systems so that anyone, from a new technician to a first-time visitor, can walk the floor and immediately understand build status, throughput, and where problems are.

• Poka-Yoke & Error-Proofing: Partner with the Quality Lead to design processes and fixtures where the right build is the only possible build. Mistake-proof the line at the process level so quality is built in, not inspected in.

• Continuous Improvement: As Persona scales from tens of robots to hundreds, you will own the ongoing optimization of the production system like cycle time, yield, throughput, and cost per unit. Apply lean and kaizen principles to eliminate waste as the line matures.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Quality Lead, Supply Chain Lead, and assembly technicians. Partner with engineering during design reviews to influence DFM/DFA decisions upstream before they become production problems downstream.

• Root Cause Analysis: Lead formal failure analysis and troubleshooting efforts. Institute the use of problem solving tools such as 8D, CAPA and other.

• Compliance & Safety: In addition to ISO9001, Persona will pursue compliance with newly established ISO & safety certifications for humanoid robots.

Qualifications:

• 10–15+ years in manufacturing or process engineering in a complex hardware environment like robotics, automotive (OEM or Tier 1/2 supplier), aerospace, industrial equipment, or consumer electronics

• Proven experience or strong aptitude to design and build production systems from the ground up

• Experience with implementation of MES systems (Tulip, ProPlanner, or like)

• Deep knowledge of factory layout, line design, and process flow. You've moved equipment around on paper (and in practice) and know how to design a build sequence that actually works

• Hands-on experience with lean manufacturing principles: standard work, poka-yoke, 5S, kaizen, value stream mapping

• Strong DFM/DFA instincts. You’re comfortable pushing back on engineering when a design will create production problems

• Experience specifying and integrating capital equipment and production tooling

• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, GD&T, and assembly documentation

• Comfortable working directly with technicians on the floor — this role is as much floor leadership as it is engineering

• Houston-based or willing to relocate

Why Join Persona AI?

Most process engineering jobs are optimization problems - someone else built the line, and you make it run better. This one is a creation problem. You'll design how Persona's robots get built: the layout, the flow, the stations, the metrics, the equipment. When Persona ships at scale, this is the system you built. That's not a common opportunity, and it's not a common thing to be able to say.

You'll have a front-row seat to the evolution of humanoid robotics, with the opportunity to shape our systems and scale our manufacturing from the ground up. If you're energized by early-stage innovation, hands‑on engineering, and building things that push boundaries, we'd love to hear from you.

Persona AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.