Manufacturing Design Engineer

Location: El Segundo, California, United States

Department: Manufacturing

Who we are

Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.

As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We’re hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.

What you will be doing

Are you a hands-on Manufacturing Design Engineer eager to shape the future of products from the ground up? Neros, a fast-growing startup, is seeking a talented individual to own critical aspects of our products, from initial design concepts through full-scale production. This high-impact role reports directly to our Head of NPI & Test and offers an exciting opportunity to drive innovation

In this role, you will

• Design and implement manufacturing processes for complete motor assemblies
• Design motor manufacturing and assembly processes including winding, shaft integration, magnet placement, balancing procedures
• Collaborate with hardware engineering teams to transition motor designs from prototype development into volume production
• Optimize manufacturability and cost by leading the design of hardware and production cells and PFMEA process
• Ensure quality and efficiency through rigorous process qualification using Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Establish clear, repeatable processes by developing comprehensive documentation, including work instructions, test procedures, safety standards, and mBOMs
• Influence product design by actively participating in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) reviews

You should have the following

• A bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or a related discipline
• 10+ years of experience thriving in dynamic manufacturing environments
• The ability to tackle complex problems using first principles thinking
• Proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks or NX
• Demonstrated experience in developing, designing, and optimizing tooling for production lines with minimal oversight
• A track record of successfully introducing and implementing new products and manufacturing capabilities from NPI to Mass Production in a high volume enviroment
• Exposure to upstream processes such as fabrication skills such as stamping, CNC machining, welding, specialized surface coatings
• Exposure to motor or battery production line bring-up, including process definition, equipment selection, and transition to volume manufacturing
• Experience with motor design considerations (electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical) and familiarity with motor manufacturing equipment

Nice to have

• Master's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent
• Experience in high-volume motor manufacturing environments including lamination processing, winding operations, and final assembly
• Experience with stator lamination stacking methods (bonding, welding, interlocking)
• Experience with automated or semi-automated winding equipment and processes
• Experience with rotor manufacturing including magnet insertion, glue application, curing, shaft press-fitting, and dynamic balancing
• Experience in taking a motor design from conception through engineering design and into high-volume production
• Knowledge of motor testing methods including back-EMF testing, cogging torque measurement, and performance characterization

US Salary Range

$110,000 - $190,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.

We’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.