Manufacturing Engineer

Some companies build software. Others build hardware. We build whatever the problem demands.

Backburner Labs is a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy where mechanical, electrical,systems,and software engineers work together to solve complex technical challenges. From embedded systems and industrial automation to robotics, medical devices, IoT, cloud platforms,and AI-enabled applications, we help our clients build products that oftendon'texist yet.

Our clients come to us whenthe engineering is difficult, the timeline is ambitious, and thereisn'ta roadmap waiting to be followed.

They'relooking for engineers who can create one.

If that sounds exciting rather than intimidating,you'll probably enjoy working here.

You'll collaborate with talented engineers across disciplines, influence technical decisions, learnnew technologies, and help turn ideas on a whiteboard into products used in the real world. We move quickly, trust our engineers, and expect everyone to contribute ideas,not just code, designs, or specifications.

Ifyou'rethe kind of engineer who asks, "What's the hardest problem we're solving?"before asking, "What's the tech stack?",you'll probably feelright at home.

Come build whatdoesn'texist yet.

• Founded: 2019
• Company: ~50 people (full-time and contract employees)
• Current location:
  St Paul
  - St Anthony Park area
• Future location:
  Minneapolis
  - Prospect Park area (we have leaseda 43,000 sq ft building)
• Revenue: doubled every year for 5 years (more details shared later)

We'relooking for a“Manufacturing Engineer– I”to serve as the critical bridge between our design engineering teams and the production floor.

You'llown the design transfer process,taking completed (or near-completed) electrical, mechanical, and software designs and translating them into clear, repeatable manufacturing processes. This means getting hands-on with prototype builds, writing and validating work instructions, designing fixtures and tooling, training assembly staff, and continuously improving how we build products.

Becausewe'rea small team that works across a wide variety of products and industries,you'llalso contribute to facility operations,production floor layout,packaging design, and light engineering tasksas needed. If you thrive in environments where the work is varied, the pace is fast, andnotwo days lookthesame,this role is for you.

• Reports to:
  
  Manufacturing Operations Manager
• Team: ~7
• Status:
  Full-time employee
• Salary range: $75,000 - $100,000
• Interview process: (~2.5 weeks):
• Head of Talent - video call
• Manufacturing Operations Manager - video call
• Panel interview and tour - in person
• Peers
• Leadership
• Decision

• Own the design transfer process from engineering to production for electromechanical products spanning mechanical assemblies, electrical panels, cable assemblies, PCBAs, and software-configured devices.
• Participate infirst article and prototype builds to develop firsthand understanding of each product's assembly sequence.
• Authorandmaintaindetailed version-controlled work instructions covering mechanical assembly, electrical integration, software configuration, and system checkouttesting
• Validate work instructions by walking team members throughbuilds, collecting feedback, and iterating through multiple revision cycles until documentation is production-ready

• Evaluate assembly processes andidentifyopportunities to reduce time, cost, and complexity.
• Recommend design-for-manufacturability improvements back to the engineering team, such asconsolidatingparts, outsourcing sub-assemblies, or simplifyingassembly procedures.
• Design and build test fixtures, jigs, and tooling to improve assembly speed, consistency, and quality
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures for receiving inspection, in-process checks, and finaltests.
• Track defects, rework rates, and scrap toidentifytrends and drive corrective actions
• Establish andmaintainthe QA process to ensure all products shipped meet customer and Backburner Labs quality standards.

• Train assembly technicians and technical support staff on…