Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Superconductor Power Terminations

What You'll Do

Design, process, and field installation

• Work side by side with design engineering on a first-of-a-kind assembly, developing the assembly process in parallel with the design rather than after it is released.
• Review drawings and models and identify what can and cannot be achieved in manufacturing (tolerances, joining methods, materials, assembly access), then drive the design changes that improve quality, manufacturability, cost, and lead time (DFM/DFA).
• Partner with engineering to determine which parameters are truly critical to quality because they drive performance, and build the assembly process, inspection plan, and test strategy around them.
• Design and develop field installation tooling that ensures high-quality, repeatable installs and makes the process significantly faster than today's methods.

Contract manufacturing and quality

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard a contract manufacturer capable of producing the termination assembly at the required cost, quality, and volume.
• Bring the CM into design reviews early so their process capabilities shape the termination assembly design for cost and lead time.
• Define and implement a quality strategy for the assembly, including incoming material inspection/qualification and finished-assembly test and qualification plans, to remove risk before the product ships.
• Establish in-process inspection at the CM: define inspection points and sampling plans, measurement/gauging methods, and first-article inspection (FAI) requirements, and audit the CM's adherence and inspection records.
• Develop test protocols appropriate for a high-power termination assembly (e.g., dielectric/hi-pot testing, torque/connection integrity, thermal cycling, contact resistance) to validate performance and safety.
• Lead pilot builds at the CM, driving root-cause resolution of build and process issues and feeding learnings back into design and work instructions.
• Build out the production process plan (routers, work instructions, fixturing/tooling strategy) in collaboration with the CM.
• Drive continuous improvement across pilot and early production builds toward the lowest sustainable cost, shortest lead time, and highest quality steady-state production design.
• Manage the ongoing CM relationship: capability assessment, quoting/negotiation support, capacity planning, and issue escalation/resolution.
• Interface with supply chain to qualify critical component and raw material suppliers feeding the termination assembly.
• Create and maintain manufacturing documentation: BOMs, process flow diagrams, inspection plans, and non-conformance/CAPA processes.
• Own the non-conformance loop with the CM: run Material Review Board (MRB) dispositions (use-as-is, rework, repair, scrap) and drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to closure, including verification of effectiveness.

What You'll Bring

• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, including direct experience selecting, onboarding, and managing contract manufacturers for complex electromechanical or high-power assemblies.
• Direct involvement in at least one first-of-a-kind product, from early design through first production builds. Experience limited to sustaining or optimizing mature production is not a fit for this role.
• Strong design background and deep DFM/DFA experience for high-power systems (e.g., busbars, connectors, terminations, cable assemblies, power distribution hardware). You can look at a drawing and know what can and can't be achieved in manufacturing, and you have driven design changes with engineering as a result.
• Experience working with design engineering to define critical-to-quality (CTQ) parameters and tie them to product performance.
• Experience designing tooling and fixtures, ideally including tooling for field installation or other work performed outside the factory.
• Experience developing incoming inspection and final test/qualification plans for electrical or electromechanical assemblies.
• Track record of leading successful pilot builds and transitioning designs into scalable, cost-optimized production at a CM.
• Solid understanding of GD&T, root cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, fishbone), and process control methods (SPC, FMEA).
• Hands-on experience standing up in-process inspection, chairing MRB dispositions, and driving CAPA/8D investigations at a contract manufacturer.
• Strong supplier management and negotiation skills, with experience running CM RFQs/RFPs and performance scorecards.
• Ability to travel to CM/supplier sites as needed.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Nice To Have

• Experience with cryogenic systems or components. 
• Experience with pressure vessel design, fabrication, or qualification (e.g., ASME Section VIII). 
• Experience with data center or critical power infrastructure hardware. 
• Familiarity with high-voltage/high-current safety standards and testing (e.g., IEC, UL, or similar). 

VEIR is committed to equal pay for equal work in its compensation practices. The base salary range for this position in the U.S. is $120,000 - $140,000 per year + equity + benefits. A candidate's salary is determined by various factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications, job level, supervisory status, and location.