Manufacturing Engineer

At Skyways, we are building a new form of air transportation—what some call the flying car. Backed by fresh funding and a major STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, we’re uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of aviation innovation. Our fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a breakthrough opportunity to move goods—and soon, people—in ways that are faster, safer, and more efficient than ever before. Unlike anyone else in the industry, our strategy blends rapid iteration with real-world deployment, and it’s already paying off.

Skyways is a fast-growing startup based in Austin, TX, supported by top Silicon Valley investors including Y Combinator. Though we’re early-stage, our vehicles are already in production and in the hands of paying commercial customers (see here and here ). With robust financial backing and government partnerships accelerating our momentum, there’s never been a better time to join us and help build the future of transportation!

The Opportunity

Skyways is expanding rapidly, and we are looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to play a critical role in scaling our autonomous aircraft production. This is a high-impact position where you will be instrumental in developing, optimizing, and implementing manufacturing processes. Your work will directly enable the seamless transition of our innovative prototypes into high-volume, high-quality production.

What You'll Do:

• Collaborate with the engineering and manufacturing teams to develop and optimize manufacturing processes, tooling, and fixtures for scalable and efficient production.
• Provide design for manufacturing (DFM) feedback to engineering, ensuring cost-effective and production-ready designs for high-volume output.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing teams to implement lean principles, advanced automation solutions, and continuous improvement initiatives, driving efficiency and quality across all production stages.
• Collaborate with engineering, supply chain, and quality to resolve issues.
• Document processes, conduct root cause analysis, and select equipment.
• Help manage interactions with Contract Manufacturers

What You'll Bring:

• Proven experience successfully scaling products from prototype to high-volume production.
• Strong foundational knowledge of various manufacturing processes, with particular expertise in composites.
• Proficiency in CAD software and a deep understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles.
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities, clear and concise communication skills, and robust project management expertise.
• Experience with ERP or MRP systems. For production readiness, we will be getting everything set up so that the ERP system can track aircraft builds, inventory, quality issues, individual parts, and several other things

Bonus Points If You Have:

• Direct experience scaling products within the demanding aerospace industry.
• Hands-on experience with automated manufacturing systems and robotics.
• Comprehensive knowledge of aerospace quality standards (e.g., AS9100) and certification processes.
• A background thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.

Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!

Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.