Manufacturing Engineer Job at Antares in Los Angeles

Base pay range: $115,000.00/yr - $185,000.00/yr About Antares At Antares, our long‑term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We believe advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve this, we build mass‑producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space. About The Team As a member of the Antares R&D team, you will be an expert on manufacturing and assembly of cutting‑edge nuclear reactors. You will help develop Antares’ first R&D facility—designing layout, special processes, hazardous material handling, and machine procurement. You will develop and document key special processes, requirements, and workflows that enable rapid product iteration. On the design side, you will work with all teams to ensure parts and assemblies are manufacturable and integrateable at the system architecture level. You will lead manufacturing planning, assess in‑house manufacturing vs outsourcing decisions, and select vendors. Roles and Responsibilities Own and develop manufacturing processes for critical subsystems requiring both conventional and special manufacturing. Mature processes from prototype to production by establishing standard processes, workflows, and qualification plans. Participate in design reviews and analyze parts/assemblies to assess and influence manufacturability based on achievable tolerances and inspection capabilities. Collaborate with design, materials, and manufacturing teams to ensure designs are compatible with process capabilities and drive DFM improvements. Analyze and disposition manufacturing discrepancies and lead multidisciplinary teams through root cause analysis and corrective actions. Develop new and evaluate existing processes and equipment to reduce non‑conformance frequency/severity and operating costs. Identify and execute design‑for‑manufacturability improvements that bring system‑wide benefits. Communicate daily with production, machining, maintenance, quality, and design engineering to ensure on‑time delivery to specifications. Train technicians, engineers, and leaders on best‑in‑class operations practices through workshops, training briefs, and demonstrations. Participate in root cause investigations during development, production, test, integration, and field operation to implement corrective actions and prevent repeat failures. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics. 3+ years of experience in special process manufacturing, process qualification, aerospace/nuclear super alloys, hazardous material handling, production engineering, reliability engineering, or project/research‑based student experience. Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and solve challenges in hardware manufacturing projects. Experience creating work instructions and tracking BOM components from suppliers. Experience defining requirements for or designing tools and assembly fixtures using CAD systems and implementing tooling with internal and external suppliers. Knowledge of PLM, ERP, MES, and related manufacturing planning systems. Preferred Skills & Experience Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills with enthusiasm for problem solving and optimization of modern nuclear design. Master’s degree or 5+ years of professional experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering. Experience developing, testing, qualifying, and maintaining manufacturing processes for complex special processes such as welding, brazing, heat treatments, additive manufacturing, coatings, hydroforming, and NDT. Experience creating factory layouts based on production demand and process requirements. General knowledge of GD&T as it relates to assembly and fabrication. Experience using CAD (NX) to create work instructions. Demonstrated track record of high‑impact ROI contributions. Strong project management skills and effective communication across multidisciplinary teams. Hands‑on experience with fluid, gas, or high‑voltage systems. Leadership experience on a project or research team. Experience with test instrumentation and control components such as pressure transducers, thermocouples, strain gauges, relays, and solenoid valves. Experience with part inspection methods and technologies such as micrometers, CMM, and white‑light interferometry. Location We are located in Torrance, CA, in a 145,000‑square‑foot, brand‑new facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production. The facility is near the 405, 105, and 110 freeways and is part of Los Angeles’ vibrant emerging tech ecosystem. Culture At Antares, we tie each role to our founding values. The top five cultural values of our organization are: Think in Systems – Energy and defense are complex ecosystems; think probabilistically and act. Obsess over the End User – The customer and end user must guide product decisions. Be unconstrained by convention – Pursue solutions that have never been tried before. Craftsmanship – Invest in personal growth and high‑quality engineering for its own sake. Seriously optimistic – We reward audacity and avoid cynicism or belittlement. Equal Opportunity Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or other legally protected status. ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (green card holder), refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, and be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level Employment Type Full‑time Job Function Engineering and Information Technology Industries Defense and Space Manufacturing #J-18808-Ljbffr