Principal Manufacturing Engineer, Energetics

Mach Industries • Huntington Beach, CA

10h

About The Position

Mach Industries is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Engineer, Energetics, to lead the development and industrialization of manufacturing systems for solid rocket motors, pyrotechnics, and other energetic products. The position has end-to-end technical ownership of energetic manufacturing capability, from early process concepts and architecture through facility buildout, equipment integration, commissioning, qualification, and production launch. The role translates product and process requirements into manufacturing cells, lines, hazardous-process facilities, equipment specifications, controls architectures, material flows, and commissioning plans.

This is a cross-functional technical leadership role working with product engineering, manufacturing, automation, facilities, EHS, quality, operations, external architecture and engineering firms, equipment OEMs, and systems integrators. The successful candidate will have taken complex manufacturing systems from concept through production and will serve as the technical DRI for large, multidisciplinary capital projects.

Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company founded in 2023, with approximately 350 employees. It develops autonomous defense platforms and scalable, decentralized defense systems. The company describes its mission as advancing manufacturing and innovation to support national security and the United States and its allies.

The role may require access to information controlled under U.S. export laws, including EAR and ITAR. Applicants must meet the stated U.S. person or authorization eligibility requirements. Mach participates in E-Verify. The position is listed at the Principal level with a base salary range of $180,000–$220,000 USD; actual offers may vary, and equity may be included in offers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, industrialization, factory engineering, or capital equipment development.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex manufacturing equipment or production lines from concept through installation, commissioning, and production.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes and translating them into equipment and facility requirements.
• Experience specifying, procuring, integrating, and commissioning capital equipment.
• Experience working with equipment OEMs, systems integrators, construction teams, and/or A/E firms.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing fundamentals, including process capability, line balancing, equipment reliability, yield, throughput, and production ramp.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical programs across multiple engineering disciplines with limited oversight.
• Available to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations, due to export-control requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience designing, building, commissioning, or operating solid rocket motor, propellant, pyrotechnic, ammunition, warhead, or other energetic-material manufacturing facilities.
• Experience with energetic processes such as material preparation, mixing, casting, dispensing, curing, machining, assembly, inspection, and testing.
• Experience taking an energetic manufacturing process from development or pilot scale into rate production.
• Experience with hazardous-process facility design and manufacturing equipment intended for explosive or energetic environments.
• Working knowledge of applicable explosives, fire protection, electrical, process safety, and DoD energetic-manufacturing requirements.
• Experience working with A/E and EPC organizations on greenfield or brownfield manufacturing facility projects.
• Experience developing equipment URS documents, RFQs/RFPs, statements of work, acceptance criteria, and capital project specifications.
• Experience executing FAT, SAT, commissioning, process qualification, and production acceptance.
• Experience with automated manufacturing equipment, PLC-controlled systems, robotics, machine vision, and manufacturing data systems.
• Experience building production systems within aerospace, defense, propulsion, munitions, automotive, semiconductor, chemical processing, or similarly demanding manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Own manufacturing architecture for solid rocket motor, pyrotechnic, and other energetic production lines from raw-material receipt through finished-product acceptance.
• Translate product requirements and production targets into processes, equipment requirements, cycle times, staffing models, material flows, and factory layouts.
• Develop process flows, equipment concepts, line balancing, capacity models, manufacturing requirements, and capital equipment roadmaps.
• Establish equipment boundaries and interfaces, utilities and controls requirements, inspection strategies, and material-handling concepts.
• Lead process, equipment, layout, automation, operability, maintainability, and production-readiness design reviews.
• Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and develop scalable production architectures for significant rate increases.
• Provide Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) feedback to product development.
• Industrialize energetic manufacturing processes, including material preparation, mixing, casting or dispensing, curing, machining, assembly, inspection, testing, and material handling.
• Translate development processes into repeatable production processes with defined operating windows and acceptance criteria.
• Develop process specifications, manufacturing requirements, equipment URS documents, control plans, and qualification strategies.
• Partner with EHS and process safety teams to address energetic-material hazards in process and equipment design.
• Reduce operator exposure and manual handling through appropriate automation, remote operation, process isolation, and engineered controls.
• Serve as manufacturing technical owner for new energetic production facilities and major expansions.
• Translate manufacturing processes into facility requirements, including layouts, utilities, hazardous-area requirements, material and personnel flows, storage, and operational constraints.
• Work with architects, A/E firms, general contractors, EHS, authorities having jurisdiction, and equipment integrators through facility design and construction.
• Participate in concept design, basis-of-design development, FEED, detailed design, construction, installation, and startup.
• Ensure facility design supports throughput, maintainability, future expansion, safe operations, and efficient material movement.
• Own manufacturing requirements and interfaces among facilities, process equipment, automation systems, utilities, and production operations.
• Develop technical specifications and requirements for custom and off-the-shelf manufacturing equipment.
• Lead technical evaluation and selection of equipment vendors and systems integrators.
• Own technical execution of major equipment programs, including design reviews, fabrication, integration, installation, and acceptance.
• Define controls, robotics, machine vision, data acquisition, traceability, and manufacturing software requirements with automation engineers and integrators.
• Review and approve equipment designs for process capability, safety, serviceability, controls architecture, and production readiness.
• Manage technical interfaces across equipment suppliers and integrators so individual systems function as a complete manufacturing line.
• Own equipment commissioning and line startup from installation through production release.
• Develop and execute equipment acceptance and commissioning strategies, including FAT, SAT, commissioning, process qualification, and production-readiness activities.
• Lead equipment debugging, process characterization, capability studies, and production trials.
• Establish equipment and process acceptance criteria and resolve technical issues identified during commissioning.
• Partner with Quality to establish inspection strategies, process controls, traceability, and manufacturing acceptance criteria.
• Drive production ramp by addressing constraints involving equipment reliability, cycle time, yield, scrap, ergonomics, and process capability.
• Transition manufacturing systems to site operations and maintenance teams with documentation, training, spare-parts strategies, and sustainment plans.
• Act as a senior technical authority for energetic manufacturing systems across Mach Industries.
• Lead multidisciplinary technical decisions across manufacturing, automation, facilities, process safety, quality, and operations.
• Develop manufacturing standards and reusable architectures for future energetic production facilities.
• Mentor manufacturing and automation engineers and raise technical standards for capital equipment execution.
• Identify technical and program risks independently and drive them to resolution.
• Communicate manufacturing strategy, technical tradeoffs, capital requirements, schedule risks, and execution status to engineering and company leadership.

Benefits

• Performance-based incentives tied to individual and company performance.
• Stock options or equity participation; highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers.
• Healthcare, dental, and vision plans.
• Retirement savings plans.
• Paid time off.
• Funds for continuing education, training, and career growth.

What This Job Offers

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