Senior Industrial Engineer

Pivotal•Palo Alto, CA

9d•$126,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Industrial Engineer will lead the development and optimization of manufacturing systems, production layouts, and operational workflows supporting R&D and production of eVTOL aircraft. The role designs scalable factory layouts, defines production stations, develops takt- and cycle-time strategies, and drives manufacturing efficiency as Pivotal moves from prototype builds to commercial production. The engineer will work closely with Manufacturing, Production, Supply Chain, Facilities, Design Engineering, Quality, and Program Management to establish manufacturing operations that support growth and scaling. Responsibilities include production flow analysis, workstation design, line balancing, labor planning, material presentation strategies, and continuous improvement across the factory. The role suits someone experienced in aerospace, automotive, or advanced manufacturing who is comfortable with a fast-paced startup environment, ambiguity, rapid iteration, and hands-on problem solving.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
At least 5 years of hands-on industrial engineering or manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, automotive, defense, or advanced manufacturing industries.
Experience designing manufacturing floor layouts, production cells, and assembly-line workflows.
Strong understanding of takt-time analysis, cycle-time studies, line balancing, capacity planning, and labor modeling.
Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous-improvement initiatives.
Proven experience supporting manufacturing scale-up from prototype or low-rate production into higher-volume operations.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to make data-driven decisions in fast-paced environments.
Experience successfully managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Positive attitude and energy in the workplace.
Strong leadership, organizational, and project-management capabilities.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Comfort operating in ambiguous and rapidly evolving environments.
Hands-on problem solver with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment across organizations.
Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at the Palo Alto, California headquarters.

Nice To Haves

Aerospace or eVTOL industry experience.
Experience working in startup or rapidly scaling manufacturing environments.
Familiarity with factory simulation and layout tools.
Experience with ERP and PLM systems such as Epicor and Dassault Systems 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX).
Knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, and aerospace manufacturing standards.
Experience with discrete manufacturing, composites, aircraft assembly, or electromechanical systems.
Lean Six Sigma certification.
Experience supporting production readiness and factory ramp activities.
Interest in advanced air mobility and next-generation aerospace technologies.
Knowledge of FAA Part 103 requirements.
Proactive safety mindset, including identifying and mitigating risks and continuously improving safety practices.
Customer-focused approach.
Values diverse perspectives, cross-functional relationships, trust, empathetic communication, and shared decisions.
Takes initiative, adapts to change, and owns outcomes.
Navigates ambiguity with resilience and innovative, practical approaches.
Fosters a respectful, professional, collaborative, and supportive workplace.

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize factory floor layouts for production flow, scalability, safety, and operational readiness.
Create 3D plant layouts in Dassault Systems 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX).
Design and implement manufacturing workstations, assembly cells, and material-flow strategies for aircraft production and sub-assembly operations.
Partner with Facilities, Manufacturing, and Production teams on factory expansion, equipment placement, and infrastructure planning.
Simulate manufacturing flow to identify bottlenecks and improve throughput.
Support facility planning for prototype, low-rate initial production, and future rate-production environments.
Support manufacturing engineering by creating work instructions and standard processes for the manufacturing floor.
Conduct cycle-time studies, takt-time analysis, labor balancing, and capacity modeling to support production targets.
Develop standardized work, labor models, staffing plans, and operational metrics for manufacturing processes.
Establish manufacturing KPIs and dashboards to track efficiency, throughput, labor utilization, and operational performance.
Lead line-balancing and workstation-optimization efforts to improve productivity and reduce waste.
Analyze production data and recommend improvements to increase manufacturing efficiency and reduce operational risk.
Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives, including 5S, visual management, waste reduction, Kaizen events, and continuous improvement activities.
Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and implement corrective actions to improve flow, ergonomics, quality, and efficiency.
Develop value stream maps and future-state manufacturing strategies aligned with company growth objectives.
Support implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies, automation solutions, and digital manufacturing tools.
Lead root-cause investigations and process-improvement initiatives across production operations.
Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Production teams on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and operational readiness.
Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities by ensuring production systems, layouts, tooling, and labor plans are production-ready.
Collaborate with Quality and Safety teams to ensure manufacturing operations meet regulatory and company standards.
Support production-ramp planning and operational scaling across multiple aircraft programs.
Train and mentor technicians, production staff, and junior engineers in industrial engineering best practices and operational excellence methodologies.
Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation, including process flow diagrams, workstation layouts, labor models, and operational standards.
Support AS9100 and ISO 9001 compliance initiatives through standardized manufacturing processes and documentation control.
Maintain accurate production-planning and factory-layout data within ERP and PLM systems.
Support manufacturing readiness reviews, operational audits, and process-validation activities.