Coatings and Materials Manufacturing Engineer

1X • San Carlos, CA

16h • Onsite

About The Position

1X is building humanoid robots for home use, aiming to automate chores and give people back their time. This requires solving complex challenges in robotics, AI, and manufacturing simultaneously. The company has been developing its flagship robot, NEO, since 2014 and is now focused on shipping it. The Materials Engineering team is responsible for researching, developing, and industrializing advanced materials like polymers, elastomers, synthetic fibers, and composites to enhance robot performance, durability, and manufacturability. They collaborate with various engineering and manufacturing teams, as well as external suppliers, to translate material innovations into scalable production technologies. The work of this team is crucial for NEO's functionality, covering areas such as synthetic ropes, cable-drive systems, elastomers, and structural polymers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of industry experience in materials, chemical or coating manufacturing, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience developing, validating, and scaling manufacturing processes for at least one of the following: coatings, elastomers, polymers, synthetic fibers, or composite materials.
• Demonstrated experience transitioning materials from research and development into high-volume manufacturing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills including root-cause analysis and corrective action for material or process failures and use of manufacturing data to improve yield and throughput.
• Excellent communication skills with experience leading cross-functional technical projects.
• Working knowledge of laboratory and production safety procedures, chemical regulations, and material compliance standards.

Nice To Haves

• Experience manufacturing materials for robotics, aerospace, automotive, medical devices, or other advanced hardware industries.
• Experience supporting NPI, validation builds, first-article inspections, supplier or contract-manufacturer readiness, and production line launches.
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other structured continuous-improvement methods to improve process capability, yield, and cost.
• Knowledge of process optimization, automation, and manufacturing yield improvement.
• Experience with batch processes, roll-to-roll or continuous coating, and in-line or at-line inspections.
• Experience implementing semi-automated or automated equipment, material handling, sensors, vision systems, or production data collection.
• Familiarity with DFM, PLM, ERP, or MES systems and manufacturing documentation workflows.

Responsibilities

• Own the industrialization of advanced coatings, load-bearing fiber materials, and other advanced materials for humanoid robots.
• Lead manufacturing development and scale-up, including equipment selection and commissioning, production-area design, line layout, material flow, technical qualifications, SOPs, work instructions, and operator training.
• Ensure efficient transition of new material technologies from laboratory development to high-volume production by working across research, manufacturing, quality, and supplier ecosystems.
• Lead scale-up from laboratory and pilot stages to required production rates, using capacity models, cycle time, labor content, first-pass yield, scrap, equipment uptime, and cost to guide decisions on process, equipment, and automation.
• Develop, validate, and release repeatable manufacturing processes for coatings, load-bearing fiber systems, and other advanced materials, with defined process windows, standard operating conditions, and production-readiness criteria.
• Utilize DOE, SPC, process-capability analysis, PFMEA, structured root-cause analysis, and corrective action to improve first-pass yield, throughput, safety, quality, and cost.
• Define critical-to-quality characteristics, measurement and inspection methods, control plans, and acceptance criteria to ensure consistent material and product requirements.
• Specify, source, and commission production equipment, tooling, fixtures, material-handling systems, and automation solutions that support scale, operator safety, and maintainability.
• Optimize manufacturing processes to improve quality, reduce cost, and increase production efficiency.
• Establish comprehensive technical documentation systems, including process specifications, SOPs, work instructions, validation protocols and reports, training materials, production records, and safety documentation.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior