Why This Role Matters

As a Sr. Manufacturing Engineer on the Operations team, you'll be on the shop floor every day — owning the processes, tooling, and workflows that bring our core fusion hardware to life. You'll work alongside a small team of technicians, drive continuous improvement across the build line, and work closely with design engineering to make sure our pulser modules are built right, every time.

This is a hands-on, high-ownership role at the center of Pacific Fusion's production operations. If you thrive in a fast-moving environment where the hardware is unlike anything built before, this is your seat.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end manufacturing processes for pulser module assembly, from work instruction development through build completion and acceptance
• Work alongside the technicians to provide fast solutions that can be quickly executed to keep the build progressing
• Support documentation handoff to the production team for the build processes as well as issues and their respective resolutions
• Manage build schedule using microsoft project to communicate within the company
• Partner with design engineering to provide manufacturing feedback, drive DFM improvements, and support first article builds
• Identify and resolve production non-conformances, leading root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence
• Define and develop tooling, fixturing, and equipment requirements to support safe, efficient, and repeatable assembly operations
• Track and report production metrics — cycle time, yield, first pass rate — and drive initiatives to hit and exceed targets
• Support the scale-up of assembly operations as Pacific Fusion transitions from low-rate initial production to higher volume output
• Support schedule management by clearly defining steps to completion

What You Bring

• 3–7 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience in a hands-on production environment
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring technicians on a production floor
• Strong understanding of mechanical assembly processes, work instruction development, and production documentation
• Hands-on experience with complex electromechanical assembly — high voltage, pulsed power, precision mechanical, or similarly demanding hardware preferred
• Familiarity with quality management systems, non-conformance processes, and root cause analysis methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone)
• Ability to read, interpret, and create engineering drawings, schematics, and GD&T
• Comfortable working in an early-stage, fast-moving environment where processes are still being defined
• Hands on experience working at a startup building the prototype units
• Familiarity with standard machining processes and capable of running equipment

Bonus Points For

• Experience in aerospace, defense, energy, or other high-complexity hardware industries
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement frameworks
• Experience supporting first-of-kind or prototype-to-production transitions
• Exposure to high voltage or pulsed power systems
• BS in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering (or equivalent experience)