Full-Time

Manufacturing Engineer

Updated on 9/8/2026

Trust Automation

Trust Automation

Motion control and power management systems maker

Compensation Overview

$90.9k - $113k/yr

San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

In Person

Bachelor's

Category
Manufacturing & Process Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Altium
Microsoft Office
ERP
Six Sigma
OrCAD
Assembly
SolidWorks
Requirements
  • A Bachelor's Degree and 2 to 5 years of experience, or 5 to 9 years of related experience.
  • Comprehension of mechanical or electrical drawings and schematics.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
  • Proficiency with SolidWorks and PDM Vault file management.
  • Proficiency with OrCAD or Altium.
  • Proficiency using MRP or ERP systems.
  • Professional written and verbal interpersonal communication skills.
  • Experience applying Lean Six Sigma principles.
  • Excellent arithmetic and logic ability.
  • High attention to detail.
  • Ability to perform the duties with minimal supervision.
  • Demonstrated experience working in high-paced, multi-faceted environments with frequent changes in priority and responsibility.
  • Ability to maintain the day-to-day information required to develop or manufacture products and maintain high customer satisfaction.
  • Ability to participate in identity verification for access to secure client or government portals by authorizing certified supplier or customer management platforms to obtain information from a personal credit profile or other information, solely to verify identity.
  • Ability to hear and speak to exchange information in person, by telephone, or virtually.
  • Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard and calculator and assemble or manufacture intricate items.
  • Ability to see and read a variety of materials.
  • Ability to sit or stand for extended periods.
  • Physical agility to lift up to 50 pounds to shoulder height; items over 50 pounds require two or more people or a lifting device.
  • Physical agility to lift, carry, push, or pull objects.
Responsibilities
  • Support the Manufacturing Engineering Manager and Manufacturing Program Manager regarding program, product, process, and schedule directives.
  • Design, fabricate, or facilitate development of product-specific assembly and test tooling and equipment with Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering Technicians.
  • Develop workcell layouts and tooling and equipment requirements using Lean Six Sigma and 5S+1 principles.
  • Establish value stream maps of build and test processes during early product phases and iterate them as volume and product configurations change.
  • Work directly with Engineering teams to provide Design for Manufacturability and Design for Assembly input during product design cycles.
  • Support procurement activities, inventory management, and capacity planning through enterprise resource planning bill-of-material reviews and changes with configuration management specialists.
  • Serve as or support primary supplier contacts for manufacturing and quality inquiries and issues.
  • Assist the Manufacturing Program Manager in creating production plans through Low-Rate Initial Production, including production lists and bills of materials, work instructions, assembly and test fixturing, and resource capacity.
  • Train and mentor Manufacturing and Manufacturing Engineering team members on assembly and test techniques and methodologies.
  • Perform hands-on assembly and testing during prototype and Low-Rate Initial Production phases and perform Manufacturing Engineering Technician duties when needed.
  • Drive continuous improvements after product lines transition to released manufacturing and develop proposals using lean optimization tools and principles.
  • Team with Configuration Management as a technical reference for change proposals through the ISS, Document Change Order, and Engineering Change Order processes.
  • Identify and pursue opportunities to transfer in-house labor to lower-cost contract manufacturers; facilitate labor-transfer proposals, coordinate schedule cut-ins with the Manufacturing Program Manager, and drive changes through enterprise resource planning.
  • Work with Quality personnel to identify and mitigate impediments to on-time delivery through quantitative failure-data analysis and propose robust solutions.
  • Engage current and potential suppliers with Materials and Quality teams to identify cost and lead-time savings while maintaining or improving design intent and part reliability.
  • Collaborate with design and test engineering personnel to address manufacturing challenges and create cost-saving opportunities through design improvements and assembly and test automation.
  • Recommend dispositions for failed components and assemblies through nonconformance report and material review board processes while assessing cost, lead-time, and inventory impacts.
  • Lead or participate in interdepartmental and intradepartmental teams for focused solutions during line-down events, including rapid-response and tiger teams.
  • Understand and implement Trust Automation processes under AS9100 guidelines for customer service, product design and improvement, sub-tier collaboration, quality assurance, and manufacturing throughput, including Corrective Action, Continuous Improvement, Engineering Change Order, and Document Change Order processes.

Trust Automation designs and manufactures motors, motor drives, motion control, and power management systems for demanding industrial and defense applications, using a systems-engineering approach that integrates each component within its broader context. Its products span motion and motor control solutions, power management systems, and complex electromechanical assemblies, built through tightly integrated design and manufacturing under one roof. The company serves four primary sectors: defense systems, counter-unmanned aircraft systems (cUAS), semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial automation. What sets Trust Automation apart is this single-source model, which reduces supply-chain complexity and speeds time-to-market, backed by AS9100D/ISO 9001:2015 certification, ITAR registration, and Woman-Owned Small Business status. The goal is to solve complex motion, motor control, and power management problems with technical excellence.

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

San Luis Obispo, California

Founded

N/A

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Trust Automation posted open roles on September 4, 2026, signaling continued hiring.
  • Workforce jumped from 35 to about 170 by February 2026, with 70 more planned.
  • The REACH apprenticeship program and Wish for Wheels event strengthen local recruiting and reputation.

What critics are saying

  • Juan Flores v. Trust Automation alleges California wage-and-hour violations from 2024.
  • PAGA tracker shows 40 impacted employees and settlement pending as of November 2025.
  • Defense concentration is extreme; losing the Air Force IDIQ would crush 2026 growth.

What makes Trust Automation unique

  • Trust Automation won $490 million Air Force C-UAS work through August 2030.
  • Its SUADS and GAT jammer combine fixed-site defense and warfighter-mounted counter-drone capability.
  • The company spans motion control, power management, and defense electronics from San Luis Obispo.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

Company News

KSBY
Mar 19th, 2026
San Luis Obispo engineering company partners with Wish for Wheels to build bikes for local kids.

San Luis Obispo engineering company partners with Wish for Wheels to build bikes for local kids. Posted 5:34 PM, Mar 18, 2026 and last updated 7:13 PM, Mar 18, 2026 Trust Automation in San Luis Obispo partnered with Wish for Wheels to build and distribute 54 bikes to local children. On Wednesday morning, Trust Automation employees assembled all of the bikes. The bikes, along with helmets, were then distributed to kids at Hawthorne Elementary. Wish for Wheels has organized many similar events to fulfill its mission of providing 2nd graders in Title I schools across the nation with bicycles. Team Lead at Wish for Wheels, Jerry Farmer, said, "A bike can be the one thing that changes kids' trajectory in life, gets them in school more, gets them riding bikes with friends more, developing friendships and starting a healthy lifestyle." Together with Trust Automation, they were able to highlight the power of teamwork and giving back to the community Trust Automation is a locally owned and operated engineering company in San Luis Obispo. The founders, Ty and Trudie Safreno, are known for their philanthropy in the community.

Robotics Tomorrow
Oct 13th, 2025
Trust Automation to Showcase Counter-UAS Solutions at AUSA Annual Meeting

Trust Automation to showcase counter-uas solutions at AUSA Annual Meeting. At the core of Trust's C-UAS offering is the Government collaborated Small-Unmanned Air Defense System (SUADS), which provides both fixed-site protection - such as Air Force base defense operations - and rapidly deployable defense for key assets and units in combat zones. Trust Automation Inc., a leader in motion control, power management and electronic systems for defense and commercial applications, will showcase its advanced counter unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition, October 13-15, 2025, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. At the core of Trust's C-UAS offering is the Government collaborated Small-Unmanned Air Defense System (SUADS), which provides both fixed-site protection - such as Air Force base defense operations - and rapidly deployable defense for key assets and units in combat zones. SUADS delivers layered, adaptable protection designed to detect, track and defeat Group 1, 2 and 2+ UAS threats through scalable, modular, upgradable architecture. Complementing SUADS is Trust's weapons-mountable GAT(TM) UAS Jammer, which empowers individual warfighters to directly counter local hostile UAS activity across C2 and GNSS bands. Combined with Trust's broader suite of radio frequency countermeasures, these solutions provide military forces with flexible, mission-tailored options to neutralize evolving aerial threats. Trust invites defense professionals, military leaders and industry partners to visit Booth 1939 at AUSA 2025 to explore its C-UAS technologies and discuss mission-specific requirements. With more than 40,000 attendees and representation from over 90 countries, the event is an ideal venue to discover how Trust is advancing the defense against unmanned threats.

REACH Central Coast
May 20th, 2025
Industry steps up to build next-gen workforce

Trust Automation, a longtime REACH supporter and leader in precision manufacturing, is partnering with the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation and school district to launch a new student apprenticeship program.