Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Machining

Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Machining – Beehive Industries

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost. Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland, Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Englewood, Colorado facility.

Working on our manufacturing team and closely with our design engineering team, the CNC Machining Manufacturing Engineer is the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for CNC machining of aerospace components and aerospace materials. Helping insource and standup machining capability, provide Design for Manufacturing (DfM) guidance on prototypes and production hardware, and build and nurture the manufacturing team to build experience with CNC machining.

• Serve as the on‑site SME for CNC machining of aerospace components and materials, helping insource and standup machining capability, provide DfM guidance on prototypes and production hardware, and nurture the manufacturing team.
• Process Development:
  Design and optimize CNC machining for aerospace components and systems, considering materials, machinery, cutting tools, and labor.
• Tooling and Equipment:
  Design, specify, and select manufacturing fixtures, equipment, and machinery required for aerospace production processes, including CNC machines, chip/FOD masking, post‑processing equipment, and other specialized tooling.
• Design for Manufacturing: work with design team to produce manufacturable designs, marking up drawings on manufacturable features and tolerances, running trials to prove in‑house capability, and assessing future equipment to increase internal capability.
• Work with quality engineers to improve process capabilities for production jobs, continuously identifying and implementing process improvements, automation, and lean manufacturing techniques to enhance efficiency and reduce production errors.
• Cost Control:
  Monitor and control manufacturing costs by improving processes, reducing waste, and making cost‑effective decisions regarding materials, equipment, and labor.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including hardware owners, design engineers, quality control specialists, less experienced manufacturing engineers, and production operators, to address issues and ensure smooth production operations.
• Troubleshooting:
  Investigate and resolve current production issues such as defects, machine malfunctions, or process inconsistencies to maintain a smooth production flow.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field from an accredited institution.
• 8+ years of manufacturing experience, with a focus on metal parts preferred.
• Familiarity with aerospace manufacturing processes and the creation of part routing/flow.
• Proficiency in CAD software such as Solidworks, Siemens NX, CAM, Teamcenter, or similar systems.
• Ability to interpret engineering specifications, drawings, and models effectively.
• Experience adapting equipment or tooling designs to meet factory and production requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong workload management and follow‑up capabilities.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively across all levels within and outside the organization.
• Willingness to travel as needed.
• Availability to work extended hours during machine outages or critical activities.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government‑issued security clearance is required. U.S. Citizenship is required, as only U.S. Citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

• 8+ years of hands‑on experience with production equipment, including programming and fixture design.
• Prior engagement in startup environments.
• Experience…