Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Advanced Development

Joby Aviation; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Healthcare benefits

401(k) plan with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Short-term disability coverage

Long-term disability coverage

Life insurance

Job summary

Joby Aviation is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to translate engineering designs into buildable, repeatable processes for the J208. You will join the team responsible for making builds faster, cleaner, and more consistent as part of the Superpilot program.

You will own the manufacturing plan, create work instructions, and collaborate across design, quality, and program teams to implement producibility improvements while meeting regulatory requirements and export controls.

Qualifications

• BS in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on prototype builds and rate production experience.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing and assembly plan for aircraft installations from build sequence to documented, repeatable process.
• Author work instructions and manufacturing bills of materials; support technicians on the floor.
• Design and procure tooling, fixtures, and shop aids to improve build quality and cycle time.
• Drive producibility by partnering with design engineers on design for manufacturability and maintenance.
• Dispositon nonconformances; lead root-cause investigations and share lessons learned.
• Interface with internal and external partners to source parts, qualify suppliers, and resolve issues.
• Collaborate with quality, maintenance, flight test, and program stakeholders to plan builds and resolve blockers.

Skills

GD&T ASME Y14.5

CAD tooling design

Fabrication & assembly of metallic/com

Aerospace quality systems & regulatory

Self-management & fast learner

Education

BS in mechanical engineering

5+ years related experience

Tools

3DExperience

CAD tools

Job description

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.

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.

Desired

• M.S. in mechanical, industrial, aerospace engineering, or another relevant discipline
• Experience with Dassault Systemes 3DExperienceExperience
• 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

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.

Compensation

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.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Healthcare benefits
• A 401(k) plan with a company match
• An employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
• Short‑term disability coverage
• Long‑term disability coverage
• Life insurance
• And more

Additional Information

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.