Manufacturing Engineer

Position Overview Red 6 is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineer to lead manufacturing development and production readiness activities for internally designed, complex aerospace products. This role will support both in-house production and contract manufacturers (CMs), ensuring products meet strict DOD, aerospace, and industry (J-STD/IPC) standards for manufacturability, producibility, quality, traceability, and performance. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring deep experience with complex assemblies including PCBAs, harnesses, precision mechanical components, and system-level integration. Key Responsibilities Manufacturing Development & Production Readiness - Develop and release manufacturing processes for complex electromechanical assemblies. - Lead DFM/DFA reviews with Engineering during NPI phases. - Create and maintain build documentation (drawings, work instructions, routers, BOMs, ECO implementation). - Establish manufacturing flows for PCBAs, subassemblies, cable/harness assemblies, and system integration. - Support leaded solder processes where required. Contract Manufacturer (CM) Management - Serve as technical manufacturing liaison to CMs. - Support implementation of blended AML (Red 6-sourced custom parts + CM-procured materials). - Oversee CM development of assembly processes, tooling, fixtures, and test rack duplication. - Conduct on-site audits and production readiness reviews. - Travel to CM facilities to support builds, process validation, and yield improvement. Compliance & Quality - Ensure manufacturing processes meet DOD, Aerospace, IPC, J-STD, and internal Red 6 standards. - Support traceability requirements (serialization, lot tracking, material control). - Drive root cause and corrective action for production issues. - Partner with Quality on FAI, process validation, and production qualification. Cross-Functional Collaboration - Collaborate with Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, Test, and Engineering. - Present production status, risk assessments, and mitigation plan to senior leadership. - Support capacity planning and production scaling initiatives. - Support DOD projects as required by contractual obligations. Required Qualifications - 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability electronics. - Proven experience leading complex electromechanical production programs. - Strong experience with PCBAs, harnesses, system integration, and mechanical assemblies. - Experience working with contract manufacturers. - Experience creating manufacturing documentation and process controls. - Strong understanding of IPC/J-STD standards and aerospace compliance requirements. - Excellent communication and executive presentation skills. - US Citizen (security clearance is a plus). - Travel is required to CM facilities. - Experience performing GD&T calculations for mechanical components in accordance with Y14.5 - Qualified candidate must have the ability to obtain a security clearance. This requires U.S. Citizenship Strongly Preferred Qualifications - Experience in DOD production programs. - Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement background. - Experience with ERP/MRP systems. - Familiarity with AS9100 environments.