Coatings and Materials Manufacturing Engineer

1X • San Carlos, CA

1d • $200,000 - $248,000

About The Position

We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it—we’re shipping it. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time—safely creating abundance for all.

Our Materials Engineering team researches, develops, and industrializes advanced polymers, elastomers, synthetic fibers, and composite materials that improve robot performance, durability, and manufacturability. Working closely with Mechanical Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing, and external material suppliers, the team transforms cutting-edge material innovations into scalable production technologies. From advanced synthetic ropes and cable-drive systems to high-performance elastomers and structural polymers, our work directly enables the performance of NEO.

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
• Strong expertise in chemical engineering, polymer science, materials engineering
• Excellent understanding of advanced manufacturing processes in at least one of the following areas: coatings, chemicals, polymers, elastomers, synthetic fibers, or composite materials
• Demonstrated manufacturing scale-up judgment: translating a lab method into equipment, tooling, process controls, staffing, capacity, quality controls, and standard work
• Strong process-development and validation skills, with working knowledge of DOE, SPC, process capability, PFMEA, and structured root-cause methods
• Ability to define equipment requirements, design tooling and fixtures, manage vendors, and commission production equipment while balancing safety, quality, throughput, and cost
• Hands-on, data-driven manufacturing mindset; comfortable troubleshooting on the production floor and moving between technical design discussions and factory operations
• Ownership mindset with strong cross-functional communication skills and the ability to drive new material technologies from concept through stable production

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 that enable the next generation of humanoid robots.
• Lead the manufacturing development and scale-up, including equipment selection and commissioning; production-area design; line layout and material flow; definition of technical qualifications; development of SOPs and work instructions; and training of production operators.
• Working across research, manufacturing, quality, and supplier ecosystems, ensure that new material technologies transition efficiently from laboratory development into reliable, high-volume production.
• Lead scale-up from laboratory and pilot to the required production rate, using capacity models, cycle time, labor content, first-pass yield, scrap, equipment uptime, and cost to guide process, equipment, and automation decisions.
• 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.
• Use 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 that ensure material and product requirements are met consistently.
• 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