Design for Manufacturing - Fission

Zap Energy • Everett, WA

4d • $180,000 - $210,000

About The Position

Zap Energy is seeking a Senior Design for Manufacturing Engineer to support the Zap Modular Reactor (ZMR) program. In this role, you will be responsible for the manufacturability and producibility inside the design process for a liquid metal-cooled fission reactor, ensuring that the design is buildable, inspectable, and scalable. This role will work upstream of fabrication where you will be influencing geometry, tolerances, processes, requirements and integration early. Successful candidate will take the lead on design-to-cost and cost-reduction strategy from the earliest design phases. The near-term focus is first-of-a-kind (FOAK) producibility, while maintaining a longer-term horizon toward mass production. This role requires identifying and solving ill-defined first-of-a-kind problems. Being a team player is foundational to success in this role.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field from an ABET-accredited program is required.
• At least 8-10 years of experience in design for manufacturing, producibility, or manufacturing/process engineering of hardware subject to industrial codes and standards.
• Experience with regulated, low-volume, high-consequence hardware (nuclear, aerospace, or defense) is strongly preferred.
• Expertise in DFM, DFA, and DFX practice.
• Proficiency in GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis, and in PFMEA and process risk assessment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead design-to-cost and should-cost analysis.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing and fabrication processes (welding, machining, additive manufacturing) and familiarity with ASME Codes & Standards.
• Familiarity with mass manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency in CAD software.
• Excellent technical writing skills and the ability to clearly present complex information to both internal and external stakeholders, including regulators.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, and ethical standards in engineering, including the ability to infuse this commitment throughout the organization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Self-starter and can-do attitude.
• Familiarity and competence with basic program management processes and tools.
• Outside the box thinking, grounded in practical engineering solutions.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
• The ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Adaptability, resilience, and commitment to continuous learning.

Nice To Haves

• Professional Engineer (PE) license, formal DFMA/DFM training, or Six Sigma certification is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the design-side advisor of manufacturing, ensuring producibility is designed in early. Influence geometry, tolerances, materials, and joining/process selection before design freeze. Apply DFM, DFA, and DFX methods, GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis, and process risk assessment (PFMEA) to reduce build risk, rework, and non-conformance.
• Lead up-front design-to-cost and cost-reduction strategy across ZMR components. Establish should-cost baselines, identify cost drivers in material, geometry, and process, and drive value-engineering and producibility trades that lower total cost without compromising quality or code compliance.
• Recommend and advise manufacturing and tooling strategy as design inputs including process concepts, fixturing approaches, and their implications for geometry and tolerancing.
• Build and maintain longer-term mass-production horizon in view by informing design-for-volume and producibility-at-volume constraints into the design. Provide forward-looking throughput, capacity, and make/buy considerations as design inputs, while the near-term emphasis remains FOAK producibility. Lead producibility assessments, DFM/DFA/DFX analyses, design-to-cost and cost-reduction plans, and make/buy recommendations.
• Work with design, manufacturing, testing, and integration teams to ensure manufacturability and to feed producibility and cost insight back into the design. Participate in design, producibility, and manufacturing reviews with DFM/DFA/DFX and cost analysis.
• Perform work within a graded quality assurance program. Identify and recommend right-sized, producible solutions that improve execution efficiency, especially across cross-organizational functions related to quality assurance.

What This Job Offers

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