Staff NPI Manufacturing Engineer - Comet

Apex Technology, Inc.•Los Angeles, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Apex is seeking a skilled and experienced Staff NPI Manufacturing Engineer to help define and scale the manufacturing strategy for Comet, a next generation spacecraft platform with substantially different production requirements than prior programs. In this role, you will drive the development of scalable manufacturing systems, production methodologies, factory infrastructure, and new product introduction processes required to transition from low rate development builds into high-rate production. You’ll work cross functionally with design engineering, production, supply chain, and leadership teams to ensure Comet is manufacturable, scalable, and operationally efficient from early architecture through production ramp.

Requirements

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
8+ years of relevant industry experience in manufacturing engineering, NPI, production development, or factory engineering
Demonstrated experience scaling complex hardware products from prototype/development builds into production
Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles, manufacturing process development, tooling design, and production system architecture
Experience planning or supporting factory development activities including facility layout, line design, equipment integration, or production ramp
Hands-on experience with manufacturing process validation, integration, hardware bring-up, and production troubleshooting
Experience working cross-functionally with design engineering, supply chain, quality, production, and test organizations
Strong understanding of configuration control, manufacturing documentation, process qualification, and engineering change management
Experience with automation systems, production equipment, or advanced manufacturing processes
Experience in aerospace, satellites, robotics, automotive, or other high complexity hardware industries
Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous development environments with high ownership and autonomy
Excellent communication and technical leadership skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive execution

Responsibilities

Drive manufacturing strategy and NPI execution for Comet from early development through production ramp
Partner directly with product design and engineering teams to provide DFM/DFA feedback throughout concept development, PDR, CDR, and release phases
Develop scalable production methodologies suitable for medium-to-high rate spacecraft manufacturing
Lead planning and development of new production facilities including factory layout, workflow definition, line design, GSE planning, and equipment integration
Define manufacturing process flows, assembly strategies, tooling concepts, and production readiness plans
Collaborate with automation engineering teams to identify and implement automation and semi-automation opportunities across production
Support sourcing, commissioning, validation, and deployment of production equipment, tooling, and manufacturing systems
Partner closely with supply chain, production, and engineering leadership to achieve cost, quality, reliability, and production rate targets
Drive root cause investigations, process improvements, and manufacturing readiness initiatives during integration and build activities
Establish and maintain manufacturing documentation, process controls, configuration management practices, and NPI best practices
Contribute to long-term strategy around vertical integration, manufacturing insourcing, and development of future internal manufacturing capabilities
Help define and grow the future NPI Manufacturing Engineering organization as production scale and complexity increase