Prototype Team Lead

About the team

Droyd builds autonomous robotic systems that automate repetitive manual work in production environments.

Because our hardware team moves quickly, the machine shop and prototype lab are core to how we iterate and build.

The prototype team at Droyd supports both R&D and production. The work ranges from one-off parts and fixtures to repeatable components that keep engineering moving.

About the role

As the Prototype Team Lead at Droyd, you will manage day-to-day operations for the prototype lab while directing the workflow, capacity, and priorities of the technician team.

In this role, you will be establishing and developing the lab's operational workflows completely from the ground up. Because you are building these processes from scratch, you will be heavily hands-on from day one and directly owning precision machining setups, programming and running CNC equipment, fabricating fixtures, and closing the loop on in-process inspection.

As the lab's infrastructure matures, your focus will shift into a hybrid leadership and mentorship role. You will provide technical oversight, audit CAM programs, and coach junior machinists through complex CNC setups, workholding design, and quality verification. You will also work closely with 3D printing and electrical technicians, maintaining enough working familiarity with those disciplines to communicate effectively, track their work, and keep the lab moving as a single team.

This is an evolutionary leadership role in a fast-paced prototype and R&D environment where you will work directly with engineers to review advanced prints, provide design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback, and scale the team's long-term capabilities safely and efficiently.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We're an in-person company. We build faster that way.

In this role, you’ll

• Manage daily priorities, lab logistics, and capacity for the Machinist, 3D Printing, and Electrical Technicians, balancing machine readiness, tooling and consumable inventory, and material availability against shifting R&D schedules and engineering deadlines.

• Mentor junior machinists through advanced CNC setups, CAM programming, and workholding design while coordinating closely with 3D printing and electrical technicians to track progress and keep communication with engineering clear and actionable.

• Program, set up, and operate 3-axis CNC mills across a wide range of engineering materials, taking personal ownership of precision parts from start to finish and closing the loop on in-process inspection.

• Design and fabricate custom workholding — including soft jaws and vacuum fixtures — and guide technicians in developing their own solutions; read and interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, and advanced GD&T callouts to verify part requirements and provide actionable DFM feedback to engineers.

• Oversee quality assurance and part verification, coaching technicians on metrology tools and leading root cause analysis for machining defects or tolerance drift; document machining and additive processes, setup instructions, inspection results, and control plans to ensure future builds are repeatable.

• Maintain and enforce strict EHS compliance across the prototype lab and machine shop, ensuring safe equipment operation and consistent adherence to safety protocols.

• Because we move fast, everyone on the floor pitches in. You and your team will regularly step in to execute assembly work for small manufacturing runs, assist with facility setup tasks, and maintain lab organization to ensure the team remains agile and supported.

We’re looking for someone who

• Demonstrates strong people leadership skills, with a track record of managing workflows, setting team priorities, and developing junior talent on and off the shop floor.

• Is highly organized and detail-oriented, demonstrating independent judgment when resolving ambiguous machining, workflow, or resource problems within the lab.

• Has 3+ years of hands-on CNC machining experience in a high-precision industry (robotics, aerospace, medical device, automotive), along with 1+ years of leadership, supervisory, or team management experience.

• Demonstrates expert proficiency in CAM programming (Fusion 360 preferred) and 3-axis CNC machine setup and operation.

• Possesses a deep understanding of machining fundamentals, including feeds and speeds, tool wear, workholding rigidity, and holding tight tolerances below 0.001 inch (0.025mm).

• Can personally produce precision parts with speed and consistency across engineering metals, polymers, and ceramics.

• Has working familiarity with 3D printing workflows (FDM, Resin, SLS) sufficient to understand what 3D printing technicians are communicating, coordinate their work effectively, and resolve production issues.

• Has working familiarity with electrical assembly and wiring sufficient to understand what electrical technicians are communicating and keep their work moving without needing to perform it directly.

• Communicates professionally and proactively across all levels of the team, managing competing priorities and schedule pressure without losing clarity or momentum.

• Is proficient with manual shop equipment (mills, lathes, saws, hand tools) and physically capable of standing for long periods and lifting up to 50 lbs.

• Thrives in a fast-paced hardware environment managing team operations alongside design engineers and cross-functional stakeholders.

Nice to have

• A degree in Manufacturing Technology, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent experience accepted.

• Experience with 5-axis machining or multi-axis turning.

• Experience programming or operating CMMs or using advanced metrology workflows.

• Familiarity with difficult-to-machine materials (e.g., titanium, Inconel, hardened steels, ceramics).

• Deep working knowledge of 3D printing workflows (FDM, Resin, SLS) sufficient to actively mentor technicians on machine setup, material selection, and troubleshooting.

• Deep working knowledge of cable fabrication, harness assembly, and wiring schematics sufficient to mentor or directly support electrical technicians.

• Experience with TIG welding, light fabrication, or other joining processes.

• Familiarity with other prototyping equipment such as laser cutters or sheet metal fabrication tools.

• Experience documenting data (inspection results, build logs, nonconformances) within an MES, PLM, or ERP system.

About Droyd

Droyd builds autonomous robotic systems to automate manual work for enterprises. We design the hardware, write the control stack, and deploy robots that operate in production environments.

If we do this right, robots stop being prototypes and start being infrastructure.

Join us and help build hardware that ships.