NPI Engineering Lead, Composites Manufacturing

Joby Aviation • San Carlos, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced NPI Engineering Lead to support the successful transition of composite aircraft structures from development into production. This role is responsible for leading the New Product Introduction engineering team through design release, manufacturing planning, process development, build readiness, and production stabilization. The ideal candidate has a strong background in composite manufacturing, aerospace production, cross-functional technical leadership, and hands-on problem solving. This role is critical in ensuring new designs are manufacturable, scalable, repeatable, and ready to support aircraft build schedules, certification milestones, and production ramp objectives.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, NPI engineering, composites manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, or a related technical field
• Strong understanding of composite manufacturing processes such as prepreg layup, autoclave cure, bonding, trimming, drilling, inspection, and assembly
• Experience supporting new product introduction, first article builds, production readiness, and manufacturing process development
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, ply schedules, CAD models, and manufacturing documentation
• Experience creating or reviewing manufacturing work instructions, process documentation, production planning, and quality requirements
• Strong problem-solving skills with experience in root cause analysis, corrective actions, and production issue resolution
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly align engineering, quality, production, and leadership stakeholders
• Comfortable working directly on the production floor and driving hands-on execution

Nice To Haves

• Experience in aerospace, eVTOL, defense, automotive, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments
• Experience with CATIA, FiberSIM, ENOVIA, MES systems, Jira, Smartsheet, Metabase, or similar engineering and production systems
• Experience with FAA certification, conformity builds, AS9100, FAI, NCR, RCCA, or production quality systems
• Experience leading engineers, technicians, or cross-functional technical teams
• Experience with composite tooling, CNC trim programming, inspection fixtures, and production rate ramp

Responsibilities

• Lead New Product Introduction Execution: Lead the Composites NPI Engineering team through part introduction, build readiness, process development, and production release for composite aircraft structures
• Drive Manufacturing Readiness: Own readiness of parts, tools, manufacturing work instructions, ply definitions, CNC trim data, inspection requirements, and production documentation prior to release to the floor
• Support Design for Manufacturing: Partner with design engineering, stress, quality, tooling, planning, and production teams to ensure new designs are manufacturable, repeatable, and aligned with production capabilities
• Develop and Release Manufacturing Data Packages: Lead the creation, review, and release of manufacturing data packages including CPDs, MWIs, ply books, trim programs, inspection plans, and supporting production documentation
• Resolve Technical Build Issues: Provide hands-on technical support during first article builds and early production runs. Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing issues, NCRs, documentation gaps, and process failures
• Improve Production Quality and Flow: Identify opportunities to reduce defects, improve part readiness, eliminate production blockers, and reduce rework through improved documentation, process controls, and cross-functional alignment
• Coordinate Cross-Functional Execution: Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Tooling Engineering, Quality Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, Planning, and Design Engineering to ensure clear ownership, fast decision making, and successful execution
• Support Certification and Production Ramp: Ensure manufacturing processes and documentation support FAA certification, traceability, conformity requirements, and scalable production needs
• Develop and Mentor Engineers: Provide technical guidance, prioritization, and coaching to NPI engineers. Build team capability in composites manufacturing, documentation quality, root cause analysis, and production execution

Benefits

• paid time off
• healthcare benefits
• a 401(k) plan with a company match
• an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
• short-term and long-term disability coverage
• life insurance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed