Manufacturing & Production Engineer
Engineers in this role guide the journey of AI hardware—from prototype to mass production—designing and optimizing manufacturing processes for PCBs, assemblies, and mechatronic systems. They partner with design teams, contract manufacturers, and cross-functional stakeholders to solve complex manufacturability challenges, conducting detailed design-for-manufacturing reviews and managing new product introductions while scaling production efficiency and quality. Typically embedded within hardware or operations teams at AI companies building inference systems, robots, or autonomous vehicles, they balance technical rigor with hands-on problem-solving, translating engineering intent into reliable, repeatable factory processes.
Measured across 82 of 84 open postings.
This role is advertised at 3 levels, so a single figure for the role would describe none of them. Experience and pay are the midpoints for each level on its own.
| Level | Share | Median years | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | 38%(31) | 5 | — |
| Senior | 16%(13) | — | — |
| Staff / Principal | 32%(26) | — | $190k |
A dash means too few postings stated it to report a midpoint. Most companies do not publish a salary band, so pay is indicative rather than a market rate. 5 levels with fewer than 10 open postings are not shown.
Requirements are a share of every open posting, so a role missing from this list is one where almost nobody asks. Work mode is different: many postings never say, so that figure counts only the ones that do. A posting stops being advertised when it is filled, cancelled or reorganised, so read the last figure as how long these stay on the market, not as time to hire.
Skills
What companies are looking for in this role.
Quality management systems
Manufacturing process engineering
Design for manufacturability
Reliability and failure analysis
New product introduction and ramp
Hardware test and validation
Supplier and vendor management
Manufacturing operations management
Process design and improvement
Equipment maintenance and calibration
Mechanical design and CAD
Technical issue diagnosis
Technical team leadership and mentoring
Technical documentation
Technology
The tools and technologies that define this role.
Open Jobs
84 open Manufacturing & Production Engineer jobs across 18 companies.
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