Senior Product Introduction; NPI) Engineer

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We are building a new center of engineering excellence to design our new category of tactical robotic systems and the industrial capacity to deliver them, bringing decisive airpower into the hands of every operator. We are not here to make promises;

we are here to deliver real systems with real capabilities for real missions.

You will join a team of operators, engineers, and builders who solve hard problems with humility and focus. We design and produce multi-mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real-world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and  approach is grounded in operator-centered design, rapid iteration from field use, and U.S.

-based manufacturing. Weoperateby a clear set of values:
Mission First, Aim Farther, Own It, Win Together. This is how we build advantage and how we help protect our service members, our communities, and our country.

Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a Senior New Product Introduction (NPI) Engineer to lead the transition of new designs into repeatable, scalable production. This role sits at the intersection of design and manufacturing, influencing product decisions early, owning engineering readiness through launch, and ensuring new products enter production with the data, documentation, and process discipline required to perform reliably at scale.

• Own engineering readiness for new products from concept review through formal production handoff, establishing clear evidence that designs and processes are ready to scale.
• Provide actionable DFM/DFA input before design freeze and partner with Design Engineering to resolve manufacturability issues early.
• Embed manufacturability, cost, quality, and supply chain resilience into product development decisions.
• Lead creation and maintenance of production-ready engineering documentation, including BOMs, drawings, specifications, work instructions, and change-controlled records.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute prototype and pilot builds; analyze build data to validate processes, identify gaps, and drive readiness for full-rate production.
• Own launch-phase yield and process risk through the production handoff gate, driving root-cause analysis and corrective actions with cross-functional partners.
• Identify production, sourcing, tooling, and supplier risks and drive mitigation plans to closure.
• Partner across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and suppliers to maintain alignment and resolve issues throughout the NPI lifecycle.
• Track NPI timelines, readiness criteria, key deliverables, and technical risks to support on-time product release.
• Drive continuous improvement in NPI methods, documentation, and handoff practices based on lessons learned from launches.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 6+ years of experience in NPI, manufacturing engineering, production engineering, or a similar engineering role.
• Proven experience launching complex hardware products from engineering development into production.
• Strong knowledge of DFM/DFA, engineering drawings, BOM structures, manufacturing documentation, and configuration/change control.
• Experience planning and executing prototype or pilot builds and using data to assess manufacturing readiness, yield, and process capability.
• Demonstrated ability to identify technical and production risks, lead root-cause analysis, and drive corrective actions across functions.
• Strong project execution skills with the ability to manage multiple fast-moving priorities and technical dependencies.
• Clear…