Senior Automation Engineer

Senior Automation EngineerTorrance, California, United StatesNeros is a defense technology company rebuilding America's drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We're hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.What You Will Be DoingWe are hiring a Senior Automation Engineer to scale our manufacturing capabilities by automating assembly and test processes, enabling higher throughput, improved quality, and reduced operational cost. This role will develop solutions ranging from simple fixtures to advanced automated systems, helping build a manufacturing operation that can support rapid growth and future products.You Should Have The Following7+ years of experience designing, building, and deploying manufacturing automation equipment in a high-volume production environmentProven experience developing automated assembly systems, test stations, fixtures, and process control solutions from concept through production deploymentStrong mechanical design skills with proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks or equivalent) and experience creating manufacturable automation solutionsHands-on experience with industrial controls, including PLCs, sensors, machine vision systems, robotics, pneumatics, and motion control systemsExperience integrating hardware and software for automated manufacturing and test applications, including data collection and process monitoringDemonstrated ability to identify manufacturing bottlenecks, perform ROI analysis, and deliver automation projects that improve throughput, yield, quality, and labor efficiencyExperience supporting NPI builds and transitioning automation solutions from prototype to scalable productionStrong cross-functional collaboration skills with Manufacturing, Test, Design, Quality, and Software Engineering teams in a fast-paced product development environmentProficiency in programming languages such as Python or C# for automation, controls, and manufacturing test applicationsKnowledge of manufacturing quality systems, statistical process control (SPC), and Design for Manufacturing/Automation (DFM/DFA) principlesStrong understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, process capability (Cp/Cpk), SPC, and manufacturing KPIs to design robust automation solutions that account for variation and enable scalable productionNice To HaveExperience with drone, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, or other high-reliability electromechanical productsExperience with machine vision inspection systems, robotic integration, and advanced motion control platformsExperience supporting high-mix, low-volume NPI builds and scaling processes to high-volume production environments$149,500 – $209,000 USDThe salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.We're an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.