Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Watney • San Francisco, CA

32d

About The Position

At Watney, Senior Manufacturing Engineers turn robotic automation concepts into production-ready manufacturing systems. This is a hands-on, fast-moving engineering role focused on automating the assembly of data center racks and related hardware. You will be expected to move quickly from customer requirements and early concepts to working prototypes and production-ready solutions. You will design fixtures, tooling, mechatronic equipment, and manufacturing processes; develop automation concepts; and work directly with customers to turn urgent manufacturing needs into practical solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Experience designing and launching high-volume hardware products and manufacturing processes.
• Strong hands-on mechanical design experience with production hardware, tooling, fixtures, or automation equipment.
• Experience working with manufacturing teams to take designs from prototype through production ramp.

Nice To Haves

• Are a hands-on mechanical or mechatronics engineer who likes to design, build, test, and debug hardware.
• Understand how data center racks, servers, cable systems, and related hardware are designed and assembled.
• Have strong mechanical design skills and experience with mechanisms, motors, actuators, sensors, plastics, machined parts, sheet metal, and cable management.
• Understand robotic systems and design for automation, including fixtures, tooling, end effectors, and the practical requirements for reliable robotic assembly.
• Can look at a manual manufacturing operation and develop creative, practical ways to automate it.
• Have experience taking manufacturing equipment or processes from concept through production deployment.
• Thrive in a startup environment where priorities move quickly, schedules are aggressive, and engineers are expected to take ownership and get hardware working.
• Can communicate directly with customers and turn loosely defined manufacturing problems into working hardware and production processes.

Responsibilities

• Design fixtures, tooling, mechanisms, and mechatronic equipment to enable robotic assembly of data center racks and related hardware.
• Develop innovative concepts to automate manufacturing and assembly processes, moving rapidly from concept and prototype through production deployment.
• Make sound engineering tradeoffs and deliver working hardware against aggressive customer and production schedules.
• Develop automated processes and equipment for fiber-optic cable assembly, routing, handling, and cable management.
• Design mechanical components and assemblies including machined, sheet metal, plastic, and 3D printed parts.
• Develop manufacturing processes, production flows, and work instructions for new and automated production lines.
• Work closely with robotics, controls, electrical, and software engineers to integrate mechanical equipment into complete robotic systems.
• Work directly with customers to understand their products and manufacturing challenges and translate requirements into actionable engineering solutions.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, robotics, and manufacturing issues during development and production ramp.

What This Job Offers

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