Senior Build Project Engineer (opens in a new tab)

Monarch Quantum; Northern, San Diego (KY, CA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

401(k) with 4% employer matching

20 paid time off days per year

13 paid company holidays

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

Monarch Quantum in Kentucky is seeking a Senior Build Project Engineer to own the build schedule, manage milestones, and drive prototype-to-production readiness across multiple teams.

You will coordinate with Design Engineering, Process Development and Operations, track BOMs and material status, and maintain risk logs in a fast-paced startup setting. This full-time role offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or a related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience, ideally in a startup or technology company.
• Experience leading hardware builds from prototype through production readiness.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall build schedule for assigned projects, including milestone dates, dependencies, and critical path activities.
• Lead execution of initial engineering prototype builds and support the transition to repeatable production builds with Process Development and Operations.
• Drive predictable build execution by coordinating across Supply Chain, Design Engineering, Process Development, and Operations.
• Track BOM, drawings, tooling, and inspection readiness; resolve gaps that could impact build execution.
• Prepare build progress status updates for internal teams and stakeholder briefings.
• Identify and elevate schedule risks to leadership before they impact timelines.
• Maintain build configuration records by serial number and track material status with supply chain support.
• Track incoming inspection and certification status per lot for critical parts.
• Maintain an open risk/issue log with owners and target resolution dates.
• Collaborate across the organization to foster trust and reinforce company values.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Hardware development

NPI readiness

Engineering communication

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Senior Build Project Engineer.

As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement best practices that support our mission and growth. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

• Own the overall build schedule for assigned projects, including milestone dates, dependencies, and critical path activities.
• Lead execution of initial engineering prototype builds and support the transition to repeatable production builds, coordinating with Process Development and Operations to achieve defined production metrics.
• Drive predictable build execution by coordinating across Supply Chain, Design Engineering, Process Development, and Operations.
• Track BOM, drawing, tooling, and inspection readiness for assigned builds, coordinating with Design Engineering and Process Development to resolve gaps that could impact build execution.
• Prepare build progress status updates for the internal team and briefings for stakeholders.
• Proactively identify and elevate schedule risks to leadership before they impact build timelines.
• Maintain build configuration records by serial number, including material, part, process, and approved configuration variants.
• Track critical and long-lead material status, including order dates, expected receipt, and buffer stock levels, with supply chain support.
• Track incoming inspection and certification status per lot for critical parts.
• Maintain an open risk/issue log with assigned owners and target resolution dates.
• Collaborate successfully with team members across the organization in a way that fosters trust, recognizes and celebrates others, and reinforces the company values.

• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

Experience:

• Degree in Engineering or a related field.
• 5 years or more of relevant experience (including pursuit of relevant higher education); ideally within a startup or technology company.

Skills:

• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional execution of complex hardware builds from engineering prototype through NPI/production readiness.
• Working knowledge of hardware development and manufacturing disciplines, including manufacturing engineering, process development, systems engineering, test, optics/photonics, quality, system integration, and product development lifecycle.
• Ability to effectively communicate and coordinate with technical experts across engineering disciplines.

Startup Mindset:

• You're creative, flexible, and eager to wear multiple hats.
• You're passionate about building systems from the ground up and comfortable with ambiguity and change.

The expected annual salary range for this position is $130,000-$175,000.

As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
• 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
• 13 paid company holidays
• 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)

Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.