Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer - Full Product Line Development

Verterra Energy•New Brighton, MN

About The Position

At Verterra Energy, we're on a mission to harness the power in the world's rivers, canals and oceans. To accomplish this, we are commercializing our first device called VOLTURNUS, a pioneering water-power technology that deploys in harmony with the current to capture baseline, zero emission electricity. Backed by top-tier investors and a multi-year government contract, we are growing our founding team to help achieve key milestones. Partners and collaborators include: NIRON, DoD, DoE, University of Minnesota, WEG Group, Beckhoff, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the US Army Corp of Engineers. Recent press releases can be found on our website: https://www.verterraenergy.com/news Role Overview You will architect and stand up Verterra’s production capability for full-system builds. This includes defining the production strategy, facility layout, assembly flow, tooling, quality systems, supplier integration, test strategy, and ramp plan. You will work cross-functionally with electrical, mechanical, composites, and test engineers to ensure designs are manufacturable and scalable. This role requires someone who has personally led the transition from engineering builds to structured production and understands the realities of throughput, takt time, yield, rework, supply chain constraints, and cost control.

Requirements

12+ years of manufacturing engineering experience
Demonstrated experience leading the setup of a full product manufacturing line from concept through ramp
Experience with complex electromechanical products (not just subassemblies or single components)
Proven track record transitioning from prototype builds to structured production
Deep understanding of production flow, yield, takt time, throughput modeling, and cost drivers
Experience designing production tooling and fixtures
Experience working cross-functionally with product engineering teams
Strong understanding of quality systems and production documentation

Nice To Haves

Experience in marine, energy, aerospace, heavy equipment, or similar durability-focused industries
Experience building production capability inside a startup or early-stage company
Experience setting up low-to-mid volume production (not just mass consumer scale)
Experience with composite, power electronics, and mechanical system integration
Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production data tracking

Responsibilities

Production System Architecture Define the end-to-end production strategy for Verterra products
Develop facility layout and material flow plans
Design scalable assembly sequences and build flow
Establish production cell structure and station design
Define tooling, fixtures, and required capital equipment
DFM and Cross-Functional Integration Drive design-for-manufacturing reviews across mechanical, electrical, and composite systems
Identify design changes required to reduce assembly complexity and variability
Ensure tolerances, stack-ups, and interfaces support repeatable builds
Work closely with engineering to prevent “prototype-only” thinking
Tooling, Fixtures, and Capital Equipment Specify, design, or oversee development of assembly tooling and production fixtures
Define torque strategies, bonding processes, electrical integration processes, etc.
Evaluate and select capital equipment required for repeatable production
Ensure production tools support safety, ergonomics, and repeatability
Supplier & Production Readiness Develop supplier qualification and incoming quality frameworks
Define make-vs-buy strategies
Work with suppliers to ensure manufacturability and consistent quality
Establish inspection criteria and acceptance standards
Test & Validation in Production Define production test strategy for full-system validation
Develop end-of-line test requirements and pass/fail criteria
Ensure traceability and documentation standards are implemented
Establish rework and failure analysis processes
Ramp & Scale Develop production ramp plans with throughput targets
Define labor models and skill requirements
Implement quality control systems appropriate for early production
Reduce variability and improve yield over time
Drive cost reduction initiatives without compromising reliability