Manufacturing Process Engineer

The posting, as Askaridefense wrote it

About Askari Defense
Modern warfare is dictated by robotics. Autonomous bombing drones and robotic ground systems are reshaping every battlefield on Earth. Any nation that cannot stop them loses.
Askari develops high-performance, fully-autonomous kinetic intercept systems that counter unmanned aerial and robotic threats in the world's most demanding operational environments. We build deployable systems for real-world constraints, urgent missions, and operators who cannot wait years for capability, and are continuously evolving our systems because the robotic threat evolves daily.
We are a tight team of top engineers and scientists from Skydio, Hermeus, Near Earth Autonomy, Area-I/Anduril, Raytheon, Sandia National Laboratories, and GTRI. We work directly with elite end-users, turning emerging battlefield requirements into rugged, scalable, mission-ready defenses.
Come build alongside elite engineers on a generational mission to defend the Western world. Candidly, we hold ourselves to an exceptionally high bar: the work is demanding, the pace is intense, and the mission requires people willing to go all in. For the right person, it will be more rewarding than any previous job. Askari is a place for builders serious about mastery, ownership, exponential growth, and delivering capability when it matters most.
As warfare becomes increasingly robotic, distributed, and fast-moving, the defense industrial base needs a new model: Askari is defining that model.
If protecting humanity from the coming age of robotic warfare is the mission you have been waiting for, this is where you do it.

About the role
This role is designed for a manufacturing process engineer who will own the design, development, and continuous improvement of how Askari builds its interceptor systems.
You will operate at the intersection of nearly every team in the company, including operations, supply chain, hardware, robotics software, perception, and GNC, to ensure our manufacturing processes run smoothly, repeatably, and efficiently. You will study how we build today, then design the processes, systems, fixtures, and facility layout that enable high-quality, scalable production .
This role spans three disciplines. First, you are a strong mechanical engineer who can design fixtures, drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) improvements, and prototype quickly using 3D printing and CNC machining. Second, you have an operations and process design mindset: you can sequence production workflows, develop SOPs, and optimize facility layouts to improve both quality and throughput. Third, you have a foundational understanding of software systems and can leverage AI/LLM-assisted development to build a comprehensive manufacturing software operating system. You do not need to be a software engineer, but you should understand the fundamentals well enough to direct agents to implement your vision.
Software is also central to how we maintain visibility across a rapidl
[…]
GNC teams.

Preferred Qualifications
Experience in any of the following areas is a plus:

• Education & Experience: 4+ years of relevant experience and/or a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 3D Printer Expertise: Experience upgrading, repairing, and maintaining 3D printers, including print farms.
• Machine Shop: Experience establishing, operating, or managing a machine shop.
• Lean & Quality Systems: Familiarity with lean manufacturing , statistical process control, or quality management systems.
• Manufacturing Software: Experience with MES, ERP, inventory, or traceability systems , or developing internal manufacturing tools using AI and LLMs.
• Drone & Aerospace Production: Experience manufacturing drones, aerospace, or defense hardware, particularly during the transition from prototype development to repeatable production.
• Team Leadership: Light managerial or team-lead experience, or an interest in growing into a manufacturing management role as the organization scales.

Export Control
This position may involve access to technology, material, technical data, defense articles, or information subject to U.S. export-control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and applicable contract requirements. Assignment to covered work is contingent upon the company’s ability to verify that the candidate is authorized to receive access to such items or information, including by qualifying as a “U.S. person” as defined in 22 C.F.R. § 120.62, or through any required export-control authorization, notice, approval, or access-control process.

EEO
Askari Defense, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.