Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer

Hayward, California, United States
- Full-time

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders , soldiers in battlefield scenarios , and beyond .

About the Role:

Skydio is seeking a highly motivated Senior Process Engineer to lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes for our current and next generation of autonomous products. In this role, you will drive operational excellence by optimizing manufacturing processes, improving labor efficiency, increasing production capacity, and ensuring scalable manufacturing solutions from new product introduction through high-volume production.

How You’ll Make an Impact:

Lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes to support safe, efficient, and high-quality production.

Drive New Product Introduction (NPI) activities by developing manufacturing processes, production line layouts, tooling requirements, labor models, and ramp plans from prototype through mass production.

Develop and maintain standardized work instructions and manufacturing documentation that ensure repeatable, high-quality production processes.

Conduct time studies using methodologies such as MODAPTS, MOST, or traditional stopwatch studies to establish labor standards and identify productivity improvement opportunities.

Perform capacity studies, line balancing, and production modeling to identify bottlenecks and ensure manufacturing readiness to meet production demand.

Analyze Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), cycle times, and production performance metrics to drive throughput improvements and maximize equipment utilization.

Lead cross-functional process improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing principles to reduce waste, improve ergonomics, enhance product quality, and increase operational efficiency.

Partner closely with Manufacturing Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Production, and Test Engineering to successfully introduce new products and implement engineering changes.

Manage multiple manufacturing improvement projects from concept through implementation, balancing scope, schedule, resources, and measurable business outcomes.

Support production by rapidly troubleshooting manufacturing issues, implementing corrective actions, and driving sustainable process improvements.

Develop business cases for capital equipment, automation, tooling, and process improvements that improve productivity, quality, and manufacturing scalability.

Mentor junior engineers and technicians while promoting engineering best practices across the manufacturing organization.

What Makes You a Good Fit:

7+ years experience developing and optimizing manufacturing processes throughout the full product lifecycle, from New Product Introduction (NPI) through high-volume production.

Hands‑on experience conducting time studies using MOST, MODAPTS, predetermined motion time systems (PMTS), or traditional industrial engineering methodologies.

Strong knowledge of standard work development, labor balancing, work measurement, and continuous improvement techniques.

Experience performing capacity analysis, production planning, line balancing, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) analysis to improve manufacturing performance.

Demonstrated project management experience leading cross‑functional manufacturing initiatives from planning through execution.

Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles, including value stream mapping, waste elimination, visual management, root cause analysis, and Kaizen methodologies.

Experience with ERP/MRP systems such as Net Suite, SAP, Oracle, or similar manufacturing software.

Strong analytical skills with proficiency in and experience using SQL, Power BI, Python, or other data analysis tools to drive operational decisions.

Abilit…