Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Advanced Development

Socket.dev; Concord (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Paid time off

Job summary

Joby Aviation seeks a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to own how aircraft get built, translating designs into repeatable processes and driving improvements for faster, cleaner builds. You’ll work between engineering and technicians on the floor, ensuring designs are buildable and align with FAA quality expectations.

The role emphasizes hands-on floor presence, producibility, and a strong focus on delivering repeatable, high-quality production.

Qualifications

• B.S. in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years hands-on prototype builds and rate production experience.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes and work instructions for complex assemblies.
• Strong drawing skills and GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Proficiency with CAD tools for tooling design and build sequencing.
• Experience with fabrication and assembly of metallic and composite structures.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and regulatory requirements (AS9100, 14 CFR Part 21, AS9102).

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing and assembly plan for aircraft installations, from build sequence and tooling concept through to a fully documented, repeatable process.
• Author work instructions and manufacturing bills of material, and support technicians on the floor during fabrication, assembly, and integration.
• Design and procure tooling, fixtures, and shop aids that improve build quality, ergonomics, and cycle time.
• Drive producibility into the design by partnering with design engineers on design for manufacturability, assembly, and maintenance.
• Disposition nonconformances, lead root cause and corrective action investigations, and feed lessons learned back into the design and the process documentation.
• Interface with internal and external partners to source parts, qualify suppliers, and resolve supplier quality and first article issues.
• Collaborate with quality, maintenance, flight test, and program stakeholders to plan builds and resolve blockers.

Skills

Hands-on prototype builds

Rate production experience

DFMA collaboration

GD&T understanding

Education

B.S. in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace engineering

Tools

CAD tools

3DExperience (Dassault)

Job description

Company Overview

Joby Advanced Development designs, develops, and flight-tests novel aircraft using a software-first autonomy approach. We build and deploy autonomy, perception, planning, and radar systems across conventional, electric, and hydrogen-electric aircraft in both CTOL and VTOL configurations.

Overview

Joby Aviation is looking for a passionate Senior Manufacturing Engineer to help us build our fleet of J208 aircraft (a Cessna Caravan integrated with Superpilot autonomy technology). The Senior Manufacturing Engineer owns how our aircraft actually get built — translating engineering designs into buildable, repeatable processes and driving the improvements that make the build of each faster, cleaner, and more consistent to produce than the last. This role sits at the interface between the engineering team designing the Superpilot hardware suite and the technicians who build and keep our aircraft flying. The candidate will be responsible for making sure that what is designed can be built, and that what is built matches what was designed.This position requires a solid understanding of aircraft structures and systems, manufacturing and assembly processes, and FAA-required quality and certification processes. It also requires a hands‑on disposition and a willingness to spend time on the floor with the people executing the build, since the best process improvements come from being present to watch challenges be resolved in real time.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing and assembly plan for aircraft installations, from build sequence and tooling concept through to a fully documented, repeatable process
• Author work instructions and manufacturing bills of material, and support technicians directly on the floor during fabrication, assembly, and integration
• Design and procure tooling, fixtures, and shop aids that improve build quality, ergonomics, and cycle time
• Drive producibility into the design by partnering with design engineers on design for manufacturability, assembly, and maintenance
• Disposition nonconformances, lead root cause and corrective action investigations, and feed lessons learned from each build back into the design and the process documentation
• Interface with internal and external partners to source parts, qualify suppliers, and resolve supplier quality and first article issues
• Collaborate with quality, maintenance, flight test, and program stakeholders to plan builds and resolve blockers

Required

• B.S. in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace engineering, or another relevant discipline
• 5+ years of working experience in relevant industry, with examples of both hands‑on prototype builds and rate production
• Experience developing manufacturing processes and work instructions for complex mechanical or aerostructure assemblies
• Strong working knowledge of engineering drawings and GD&T per ASME Y14.5
• Proficiency with CAD tools for tooling design, fixture design, and build sequence development
• Experience with fabrication and assembly of metallic and composite structures, including bonding, fastening, and surface treatment processes
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and regulatory requirements such as AS9100, 14 CFR Part 21, and first article inspection per AS9102
• The most important traits at Joby are a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and the ability to self‑manage and learn new skills. Forward thinking and the ability to adapt quickly to a fast‑paced environment are essential.

This position must meet US export control compliance requirements, therefore a candidate must qualify as a “US Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15. “US Person” includes US Citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.

Desired

• M.S. in mechanical, industrial, aerospace engineering, or another relevant discipline
• Experience with Dassault Systemes 3DExperience
• Experience standing up a new production line, introducing a new configuration, or transitioning a program from prototype to rate
• Familiarity with 14 CFR Part 135 operations and the continued airworthiness, configuration control, and maintenance requirements of an operating fleet
• Ability to work with a multidisciplinary team on the cost, schedule, and quality trade‑offs that drive build decisions

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $121,500 - $202,600/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Additional Information

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.