Senior Manufacturing Automation Engineer

The role

This person will define how Neros approaches automation as they scale production. They will develop high-level architecture and physical design for manufacturing equipment, machines, tooling, and fixtures.

What you will do

• Identify production bottlenecks and opportunities to improve throughput, quality, safety, and consistency.
• Evaluate automation opportunities against simpler solutions.
• Build business cases using production volume, cycle time, yield, equipment cost, labor, maintenance, and expected payback.
• Lead the mechanical design and deployment of equipment, tooling, fixtures, and automated or semi-automated stations.
• Design mechanical systems, equipment, semi-automated stations, and end-of-arm tooling using 3D CAD software.
• Define equipment requirements and oversee suppliers and integrators through design, build, acceptance testing, installation, and production release.
• Support system commissioning.
• Lead cross-functional work with controls, robotics, vision, software, electrical, and test engineers to integrate systems, troubleshoot issues, and improve equipment on the production floor.

Required qualifications

• 7+ years of experience designing, building, and deploying manufacturing equipment, tooling, fixtures, or automation systems in a production environment.
• Experience identifying and prioritizing automation opportunities using data, cost, risk, and expected return.
• Proven ability to lead equipment projects from problem definition through production deployment while maintaining hands-on technical ownership.
• Strong mechanical design skills and proficiency in SolidWorks or equivalent 3D CAD software.
• Experience designing mechanisms, part-location and clamping systems, fixtures, or machine structures.
• Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, material selection, and manufacturing processes.
• Hands-on experience assembling, testing, troubleshooting, and improving equipment.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams and suppliers to deliver reliable production equipment.

Nice to have

• Experience with machine safety risk assessments, guarding, safety interlocks, or relevant machinery safety standards.
• Experience scaling equipment and processes from NPI builds to high-volume production.
• Familiarity with pneumatics, actuators, motion components, and material-handling systems.
• Experience working with controls, machine vision, or robotics teams to integrate complete equipment.
• Experience with drones, robotics, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, or other electromechanical products.

About the company

Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. They design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems.