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Skyways

Posted 6 months ago

Open

Senior Manufacturing Engineer

AustinOn-siteFull-time

AI Summary

Senior Manufacturing Engineer leading the development of manufacturing processes for autonomous cargo aircraft, bridging engineering and production to enable scalable builds.

About this role

Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. We have been flying real missions with real customers since 2017.

Our V2 carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles and our V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000 miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a dual-hybrid design that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane. We are currently flying on three continents, in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight, and in support of U.S. military operations.

Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, we are moving from prototype to full-rate production with a path to Program of Record. Based in Austin, we are scaling fast and hiring people who want to build the world's largest fleet of autonomous logistics aircraft.

The Opportunity

Skyways is hiring a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to lead the development of manufacturing processes as aircraft move from prototype builds toward repeatable production. This role sits at the intersection of engineering and production, ensuring aircraft designs can be built efficiently and consistently.
You will work closely with mechanical, electrical, and flight teams to improve manufacturability, develop tooling and build processes, and support aircraft production as deployments grow. This role requires strong problem solving skills and the ability to work directly with hardware during aircraft builds.

What You'll Do:

  • Develop manufacturing processes for aircraft components and assemblies
  • Create and maintain work instructions, build documentation, and manufacturing workflows
  • Design fixtures and tooling that improve aircraft assembly efficiency
  • Lead troubleshooting and resolution of manufacturing issues during aircraft builds and integration
  • Work closely with engineering teams to improve design for manufacturability
  • Collaborate with suppliers and vendors to support hardware production
  • Identify process improvements that increase build efficiency, quality, and repeatability
  • Help transition aircraft from prototype builds toward scalable production

    • What You'll Bring:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field
  • Experience developing manufacturing processes for complex hardware systems
  • Experience working with composite structures
  • Experience creating work instructions and production documentation
  • Strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills related to hardware builds
  • Comfort working directly with production teams and prototype builds
  • Ability to collaborate closely with engineering teams to improve manufacturability

    • Bonus Points:

  • Experience with aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems manufacturing
  • Experience supporting early stage hardware companies scaling production
  • Experience developing tooling, fixtures, and build processes for complex assemblies

    • Skills

    Autonomous Systems ManufacturingComposite StructuresDesign For ManufacturabilityFixture DesignHardware IntegrationManufacturing ProcessesProduction DocumentationToolingTroubleshootingWork Instructions

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