Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineer

Knightscope is a security technology company building the nation's first Autonomous Security Force — autonomous machines, AI-driven software, and elite security professionals operating as one integrated managed service. The Company is on a mission to make the United States of America the safest country in the world. One Team. One Force.

Knightscope is seeking a Senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineer to embed with both the K7 and K1 new product development programs during Alpha and Beta prototype phases and drive disciplined manufacturability integration prior to production release. Both the K1 and K7 programs are at the critical stage where design decisions begin to solidify, and production architecture must be defined. This role will provide authoritative Design for Manufacturability (DFM) leadership, influence engineering tradeoffs from a production perspective, and establish the manufacturing ramp framework before start of production. The individual will operate as the senior manufacturing counterpart to product engineering leadership and ensure structured transition from prototype to scalable production. Beyond the K7 and K1, this role will own manufacturing engineering process standards across current production products with engineers responsible for sustaining and process execution.

Key Responsibilities

• K1 and K7 NPI & Production Ramp Leadership
• Embed with K1 and K7 development team during Alpha and Beta builds
• Lead Design for Manufacturability (DFM) integration
• Define production ramp architecture and yield stabilization plan
• Ensure structured ECO integration prior to production release

Manufacturing Process Ownership

• Own manufacturing process design and execution standards
• Drive first-pass yield improvement and defect reduction
• Establish scalable work instruction and revision discipline
• Integrate structured change control into production

Legacy Platform Strengthening (K1-Hemisphere, K5 Autonomous Security Robot)

• Improve process stability and manufacturing efficiency
• Reduce recurring engineering-driven manufacturing issues
• Standardize manufacturing engineering governance

Facility Startup Technical Leadership (Emergency Communication Devices)

• Lead engineering-related manufacturing readiness for new facility
• Resolve technical startup challenges
• Ensure process stability and quality continuity during transition

Team Leadership & Development

• Directly manage and develop two Manufacturing Engineers
• Set execution priorities across concurrent programs
• Elevate technical capability and accountability within the team
• Establish clear manufacturing engineering ownership model

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years Advanced Manufacturing Engineering experience
• Proven ownership of manufacturing processes in production environment
• Demonstrated NPI leadership (multi-phase prototype to production)
• Experience stabilizing production ramps in complex electromechanical systems
• Strong DFM authority and cross-functional influence
• Experience mentoring or managing engineers
• Automotive or high-complexity electro-mechanical systems experience preferred

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $160,000 – $175,000 (DOE)
• Equity: Stock options
• Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off
• Location Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ