Senior Manufacturing Test Engineer

Skydio Inc.; Hayward (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Stock options

Comprehensive health benefits

Paid vacation time

401K savings plan

Job summary

Skydio Inc. in Hayward, California, is seeking a hands-on technical engineer for their manufacturing team. This role involves bridging manufacturing and engineering to enhance quality and efficiency in production processes.

Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of engineering experience, strong RF fundamentals, and hands-on experience in Python for automation. Compensation ranges from $147,000 to $210,000 annually, with comprehensive benefits offered.

Qualifications

• 5+ years engineering experience in a manufacturing setting.
• 3+ years focused on test development.
• Strong RF debugging and design skills.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of manufacturing test readiness for products.
• Collaborate across teams to ensure robust test sequences.
• Design new test equipment for scalable manufacturing.

Skills

Engineering experience in a manufacturing environment

RF fundamentals

Hands-on coding in Python

Root cause and failure analysis

Communication and collaboration skills

Job description

Hayward, California, United States - Full-time

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios and beyond.

We are looking for a hands‑on technical engineer for our manufacturing team to help bridge manufacturing to engineering organizations. You will have a deep understanding of HW and SW design skills and use them daily to collect and analyze manufacturing data, drive action items based on data (yield, retest, test time) and improve efficiency of the line and quality of the final product.

How you’ll make an impact

• Take ownership of end‑to‑end manufacturing test readiness for an entire product line, ensuring that Skydio customers receive the highest‑quality devices.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with product development, manufacturing operations, and software teams to collect requirements and iteratively roll out a robust test sequence based on data and feedback.
• Design and implement new test equipment (in‑house or with third‑party partners) to ensure scalable and reliable manufacturing via automation.
• Lead investigations to resolve production issues, leveraging Skydio’s in‑house manufacturing execution system (MES) to analyze historical data from the factory and determine a root cause.
• Keep software quality high with code reviews and hardware‑in‑loop continuous integration.
• Look at a process and ask, "How can this be eliminated or made faster, more reliable, scalable, and less human‑dependent?" – and then make that happen.

What makes you a good fit

• 5+ years engineering experience in a manufacturing environment, with 3+ years focused on test development.
• Strong RF fundamentals, an understanding of how to debug and design better RF tests.
• Demonstrated electrical background, experience debugging/designing test boards, connectors, and cable testers.
• Strong hands‑on coding experience in Python (required) for test automation and process tooling.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct detailed root cause and failure analysis for test and equipment issues. Come to the interview ready to tell us about a tricky problem you investigated and solved.
• Creative problem‑solver with a passion for developing practical solutions.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and collaboration skills across hardware, software, and operations teams.
• Thrive in a fast‑paced, growth‑stage environment, balancing immediate execution with long‑term scalability.
• Enjoy watching How It’s Made or playing Factorio and want to get paid to work on the machine that builds the machines.

Compensation

At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full‑time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $147,000 - $210,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long‑term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full‑time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company’s success. Regular, full‑time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full‑time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti‑discrimination laws.

Skydio provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. Skydio is a federal contractor or subcontractor subject to certain governmental record‑keeping and reporting requirements for the administration of civil right laws and regulations. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job‑related criteria without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, genetic information, national origin, disability, military, or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E‑Verify to confirm employment eligibility.