Senior Manufacturing Engineer

CoAspire; Washington; On-site; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits (medical, dental, vision

401(k) with match

PTO and holidays

Job summary

CoAspire, a defense manufacturing leader in Northern Virginia, seeks a manufacturing engineering authority to set standards for a weapon-system production line. You will own line build and documentation in ERP and drive rate, yield, and cost improvements as production scales.

You will partner with the Director of Production Operations to optimize throughput, quality, and safety while mentoring technicians and engineers on a ramp toward full-rate production.

Qualifications

• Citizenship in the United States and ability to obtain/maintain a Secret clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing/Industrial/Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years in manufacturing, process, or industrial engineering on complex electro-mechanical hardware.
• Hands-on ownership of production processes including work instructions, tooling, routings, and first-pass quality.
• Experience moving a product from prototype/LRIP toward sustained rate and FRP ramp.
• Experience with certified quality systems (AS9100/ISO 9001 or equivalent).
• Comfort on the factory floor and ability to present trade-offs with data.

Responsibilities

• Own assembly processes, work instructions, tooling, fixtures, BOM, routings, and ERP master data.
• Lay out line flow, workstation design, line balance, and capacity to meet monthly targets.
• Lead cycle-time, labor-hour, yield, and cost-reduction initiatives with measurable results.
• Drive DFM and value engineering with multiple engineering teams to design-for-manufacturability.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to manufacturing staff; participate in hiring.
• Contribute to capital, facility, automation, and new-equipment decisions; qualify equipment.
• Represent manufacturing in reviews on rate, cost, quality, and risk; ensure compliance with AS9100D, ITAR, DFARS and safety.

Skills

Leadership

Data-driven decisions

On-floor manufacturing

Process ownership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering

Master’s in Manufacturing/Industrial/Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

ERP master data (MBOM, routings)

Job description

CoAspire (https://www.coaspire.com) is a cutting-edge defense manufacturing leader in Northern Virginia, specializing in the precision assembly of advanced weapons systems. With over twelve years of a legacy of innovation, we're at the forefront of building reliable, affordable mass weapons that protect and empower our nation’s warfighters. Our tight-knit team thrives in a collaborative environment where safety, quality, and work-life balance come first with a focus on professional growth at our new 27,000+ sq. ft. facility. Join us to make a tangible impact on mission-critical technology while enjoying Northern Virginia's vibrant community.

Position

You will be the manufacturing engineering authority for a weapon-system production line. You will set process, tooling, layout, and work-instruction standards; drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and provide technical direction to manufacturing engineers, quality engineers, and technicians. You will work side-by-side with the Director of Production Operation on rate, staffing, quality, cost and issue resolution as the line moves from low-rate toward full-rate production. You will own how the line is built, how work is documented in our ERP, and how rate, yield, and cost improve as volume grows.

Responsibilities

• Own assembly processes, work instructions, tooling and fixture requirements, BOM, routings, and ERP master data for the production line.
• Lay out the line: material flow, workstation design, line balance, and capacity so monthly rate and yield targets are achievable.
• Lead cycle-time, labor-hour, first-pass yield, and recurring-cost reduction — with measured results.
• Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and value engineering with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering so producibility is designed in, not inspected in.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to manufacturing technicians, and support staff; help hire the next wave of production talent.
• Input to capital, facility, automation, and new-equipment decisions; qualify equipment and processes for production use.
• Represent manufacturing in customer and leadership reviews on rate, cost, quality, and technical risk.
• Keep the line compliant with AS9100D, ITAR, DFARS, safety, and customer requirements.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship. Current Secret clearance, or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field. Equivalent experience in precision hardware production will be considered.
• 8+ years of manufacturing, process, or industrial engineering on complex electro-mechanical hardware — aerospace, defense, munitions, aircraft or spacecraft assembly, or similarly regulated precision production.
• Hands-on ownership of production processes: work instructions, tooling/fixtures, routings, and first-pass quality on a build line — not analysis-only or warehouse IE work.
• Demonstrated experience helping a product move from prototype or LRIP toward sustained rate (cycle time, yield, capacity, or cost). You do not need to have been the single owner of a full FRP ramp.
• Working knowledge of a certified quality system in production (AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent).
• Comfortable on the factory floor and in front of leadership and customers. Able to make technical trade-off recommendations with data.

Desired Skills

• Direct experience on munitions, missiles, guided weapons, or other energetic / flight-critical assemblies.
• Led or been a core member of a team that took a defense or aerospace line from low rate through full rate production.
• Formal people leadership (supervisor or manager of engineers/technicians). Technical leadership of a cell or NPI team is sufficient for this variant.
• AS9100D audit participation, quality procedure ownership, or Manufacturing Readiness (MRL/MRA) experience.
• ERP master-data ownership (MBOM, routings, work centers) and facility/layout tools (AutoCAD or equivalent).
• Lean Six Sigma applied to assembly (not only training certificates).
• Master’s in Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering.

What We Offer

Beyond competitive pay, we offer:

• Full benefits from first of month following hire: medical, dental and vision
• 401(k) with generous company match and immediate vesting
• PTO and Federal holidays

The anticipated salary range for this position is $170,000-$220,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity.