Joby Aviation is building the future of electric flight, and we need a hands-on Manufacturing Engineering Lead to ramp our Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) Inverter to high-rate production and launch the next- gen Inverter. Based in San Carlos, CA, you'll own the line: standing up equipment, locking in processes, and scaling power electronics manufacturing alongside our Powertrain & Electronics ME team.
This is a builder's role for an engineer who lives in the details — someone with deep mechanical and electrical fundamentals, real shop-floor instincts, and the pragmatism to make hard calls under aggressive timelines. You'll be on the floor with technicians one hour and solving hard problems alongside senior leaders the next . Decisions move fast here, and the work you do will show up in aircraft that fly.
Responsibilities
- Own EPU Inverter manufacturing end-to-end — in-house assembly and test, plus scale-up with manufacturing partners. You're the technical authority on how this product gets built.
- Drive equipment projects with internal teams and external suppliers — specs, builds, buy-offs, and installs — to deliver production-intent tooling on schedule
- Ramp line capacity to hit rate and program milestones — debottleneck, balance stations, and prove out throughput
- Build the processes that make a fast team faster — clear interfaces with design, quality, and supply chain; no bureaucracy for its own sak e
- Report line readiness to leadership with data, not hand-waving
- Mentor your direct team and influence efficiency across the broader org — lead by example, raise the bar everywhere you touch
- Partner with Design on DFM and EC R s, with Quality on first-pass yield and defect reduction, and with the Equipment team on readiness milestones
- Set clear deliverables, dates, and owners for the manufacturing team — and hold the line on the m
- Own the tooling and equipment budget — build it, pressure-test it, and track spend against capability and rate
- Launch the next-gen Inverter using the best proven manufacturing technologies and methods available — and put a power electronics platform into the air that no one has built before
Required
- BS in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field
- 10 + years of manufacturing engineering experience , ideally including time on the floor
- Track record of taking multiple products from early concept (bench-top prototype ) through pilot line and high-rate production as the manufacturing lead — not just supporting someone else who di d
- Hands-o n process development and validation experience (PFMEA, control plans, capability studies)
- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals and the instinct to reach for first principles before reaching for a spec — GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, fastening, and fits should feel like second nature
- Experience with power electronics, electric motor assembly, or complex electro-mechanical assembly — including the tooling, fixturing, and test equipment that make them manufacturable
- Strong problem-solving instincts — root-cause first, blame never — and the cross-functional chops to land the fix
- Genuine appetite for the details — you'd rather walk the line and read the data than sit in a status meeting
Desired
- Experience leading engineering teams — hiring, coaching, and getting the best work out of a group of strong individual contributors
- Prior experience in a highly regulated industry (e.g., Aerospace, Automotive, Medical Devices)
- Familiarity with FAA Part 21 production approval or AS9100 quality systems
Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $141,900 - $195,200/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.
Additional Information
Joby Aviation is an equal opportunity employer.
