Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Turbomachinery Balancing

Mach Industries•Huntington Beach, CA

17h

About The Position

Mach Industries is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to establish, qualify, and scale balancing processes for turbomachinery hardware. The role supports turbine wheels, compressor impellers and blisks, shafts, and complete rotating assemblies, taking balancing operations from development builds through repeatable production. The engineer owns the balancing process, including equipment selection and commissioning, tooling development, measurement validation, balance correction, and production implementation. Working with Design Engineering, CNC Manufacturing, Quality, Test, and Automation, this engineer will build an internal balancing capability and turn specialized technical knowledge into robust processes that technicians can execute at production rate. The position requires hands-on experience setting up balancing stations and working directly with rotating hardware, and demonstrating that equipment, tooling, and processes consistently meet engineering requirements. 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 role may involve access to information subject to U.S. export-control laws. Applicants must meet the stated ITAR eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required authorizations. Offers may be conditioned on authorization to receive controlled software or technology without sponsorship for an export license.

Requirements

At least 5 years of relevant experience in turbomachinery balancing, balancing-equipment applications, or manufacturing/process engineering with direct ownership of rotor-balancing processes.
Direct experience setting up and commissioning balancing stations, including equipment configuration, tooling implementation, calibration, and process validation.
Hands-on experience balancing turbomachinery components or precision rotating assemblies, with a strong understanding of static and dynamic unbalance, single-plane and two-plane balancing, and balance-correction principles.
Practical understanding of precision fixturing, GD&T, datum structures, alignment, concentricity, and runout.
Experience evaluating measurement repeatability, interpreting balance results, and resolving discrepancies between equipment readings and actual hardware or setup conditions.
A relevant engineering degree or equivalent practical experience developing and qualifying balancing equipment, tooling, and manufacturing processes.
Ability to independently troubleshoot technical problems, document repeatable methods, and work effectively with engineers, machinists, technicians, and equipment suppliers.
Must meet the stated U.S. export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Schenck, Hofmann, or CEMB balancing equipment and associated measurement systems or software.
Experience balancing or developing material-removal correction processes for nickel-based superalloys, including MAR-M-247, Inconel, or similar materials.
Experience with small gas turbines, turbochargers, turbine rotors, compressor impellers, titanium compressor components, or other high-speed rotating hardware.
Familiarity with the ISO 21940 series, including rotor-balancing requirements and balancing-machine capability evaluation.
Experience integrating balancing equipment with CNC correction, automated handling, inspection, or manufacturing data systems.
Experience in balancing-equipment applications engineering, field service, or customer commissioning.
Experience designing precision tooling using Siemens NX or comparable CAD software.

Responsibilities

Specify, select, install, and qualify balancing stations and associated equipment, including supplier coordination, factory acceptance testing, and site commissioning.
Develop and validate component- and assembly-level balancing processes for turbine wheels, compressor components, shafts, and complete rotating groups.
Design, specify, and qualify balancing arbors, mandrels, collets, supports, and related fixtures, emphasizing alignment, datum control, and repeatable part loading.
Establish calibration, verification, and measurement-system evaluation methods demonstrating capability of the complete balancing process, including the machine, tooling, hardware, and operator.
Partner with CNC Manufacturing to develop controlled material-removal correction processes that meet balance requirements while preserving dimensional conformity and component integrity.
Work with Design Engineering and Test to translate product requirements into balancing specifications, approved correction features, inspection requirements, and acceptance criteria.
Troubleshoot inconsistent balance results and identify root causes related to component variation, tooling, runout, assembly conditions, equipment setup, and measurement repeatability.
Create controlled setup procedures, work instructions, troubleshooting guides, and safe operating practices; train technicians and provide hands-on production support.
Establish traceability for balance measurements, correction operations, tooling configurations, and final acceptance results with Quality and Manufacturing Systems.
Improve cycle time, first-pass yield, and process consistency while supporting automation and transferring validated balancing processes into production facilities.