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Specter

Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Specter, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199

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Company Background Specter is creating a software‑defined “control plane” for the physical world. We are starting with protecting American businesses by granting them ubiquitous perception over their physical assets.

To do so, we are creating a connected hardware‑software ecosystem on top of multi‑modal wireless mesh sensing technology. This allows us to drive down the cost and time of deploying sensors by 10x. Our platform will ultimately become the perception engine for a company’s physical footprint, enabling real‑time perimeter visibility, autonomous operations management, and “digital twinning” of physical processes.

Our co‑founders Xerxes and Philip are passionate about empowering our partners in the fast‑approaching world of physical AI and robotics. We are a small, fast‑growing team who hail from Anduril, Tesla, Uber, and the U.S. Special Forces.

Role & Responsibilities Specter is hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to bridge the gap between hardware engineering design and scalable production. You will work at the intersection of rapid prototyping, design for manufacturability, and field deployment readiness. This role is critical to ensure our hardware products can transition smoothly from the engineering bench to pilot production and ultimately to commercial‑scale deployments.

Potential responsibilities include:

Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers to design products that are manufacturable, testable, and reliable

Develop and implement

DFM/DFA

guidelines and provide feedback early in the design cycle to enable rapid build iterations and downstream scalability

Design and document manufacturing processes, assembly instructions, and work instructions for prototype and pilot builds

Specify, source, and deploy tools, fixtures, and assembly aids to enable fast, repeatable builds

Own the build process for engineering prototypes, including planning, hands‑on assembly support, and troubleshooting

Work with supply chain and external manufacturing partners to ensure readiness for NPI builds and eventual ramp to commercial volumes

Drive yield improvement and root‑cause analysis for assembly, test, and field failures

Manage and help implement systems for

inventory control , traceability, and material flow

Support the rollout and utilization of

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

and other production tracking tools

Establish and maintain

quality processes , including inspection standards, process audits, and documentation for compliance and traceability

Support design transfer activities for moving products from engineering release into production and field deployment

Collaborate on the development of test processes and validation plans for component and system‑level verification

Travel as needed to suppliers, contract manufacturers, and deployment sites to support builds and resolve manufacturing issues on the ground

Qualifications

3+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or hardware NPI, preferably in fast‑paced, hardware‑focused environments

Experience working hands‑on with

mechanical and electromechanical assemblies , including troubleshooting, rework, and process improvement

Strong familiarity with

DFM/DFA principles

and translating engineering designs into scalable manufacturing processes

Experience managing

inventory systems , material traceability, and material flow in manufacturing environments

Exposure to implementing or using

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

and production tracking tools

Familiarity with establishing and maintaining

quality systems

(e.g., inspection plans, process audits, CAPA)

Ability to develop and document build processes, work instructions, and quality inspection procedures

Comfortable working in ambiguous, fast‑iteration environments where designs change rapidly

Knowledge of tolerance analysis, statistical process control, and basic quality engineering tools

Excellent problem‑solving skills and a collaborative mindset

Bonus: experience with ruggedized or mission‑critical electronics, automated test development, or hardware deployments in challenging environments

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