Principal Manufacturing Engineer

• Define the end-to-end production strategy for Verterra products
• Develop facility layout and material flow plans
• Design scalable assembly sequences and build flow
• Establish production cell structure and station design
• Define tooling, fixtures, and required capital equipment

• Drive design-for-manufacturing reviews across mechanical, electrical, and composite systems
• Identify design changes required to reduce assembly complexity and variability
• Ensure tolerances, stack-ups, and interfaces support repeatable builds
• Work closely with engineering to prevent “prototype-only” thinking

• Specify, design, or oversee development of assembly tooling and production fixtures
• Define torque strategies, bonding processes, electrical integration processes, etc.
• Evaluate and select capital equipment required for repeatable production
• Ensure production tools support safety, ergonomics, and repeatability

• Develop supplier qualification and incoming quality frameworks
• Define make-vs-buy strategies
• Work with suppliers to ensure manufacturability and consistent quality
• Establish inspection criteria and acceptance standards

• Define production test strategy for full-system validation
• Develop end-of-line test requirements and pass/fail criteria
• Ensure traceability and documentation standards are implemented
• Establish rework and failure analysis processes

• Develop production ramp plans with throughput targets
• Define labor models and skill requirements
• Implement quality control systems appropriate for early production
• Reduce variability and improve yield over time
• Drive cost reduction initiatives without compromising reliability

• Identify and benchmark companies we can learn from - hardware startups that have made the prototype-to-production leap for complex electromechanical systems (marine energy, eVTOL and aerospace, defense hardware, wind, EV, and similar), as well as established manufacturers who have done comparable work
• Use site visits, peer conversations, and published case studies to extract lessons on facility layout, tooling, quality systems, supplier models, and ramp strategy
• Adapt proven practices to Verterra’s product and scale rather than reinventing from scratch
• Build a network of peer manufacturing leaders Verterra can continue to learn from as production scales

• 18+ years of manufacturing engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience leading the setup of a full product manufacturing line from concept through ramp
• Experience with complex electromechanical products (not just subassemblies or single components)
• Proven track record transitioning from prototype builds to structured production
• Deep understanding of production flow, yield, takt time, throughput modeling, and cost drivers
• Experience designing production tooling and fixtures
• Experience working cross-functionally with product engineering teams
• Strong understanding of quality systems and production documentation

• Experience in marine, energy, aerospace, heavy equipment, or similar durability-focused industries
• Experience building production capability inside a startup or early-stage company
• Experience setting up low-to-mid volume production (not just mass consumer scale)
• Experience with composite, power electronics, and mechanical system integration
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production data tracking
• Track record of benchmarking other manufacturers and adapting best practices to a new production environment

• Production flow is defined, documented, and executable
• Assembly variability decreases over time
• Engineering designs become increasingly manufacturable
• Tooling and fixtures reduce build time and rework
• Production ramp occurs without structural quality failures
• Cost per unit trends downward as throughput increases
• Our production system reflects proven practices benchmarked from comparable companies, adapted to Volturnus and our scale
• Verterra moves from “engineering builds” to disciplined production

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company-paid life, disability, and basic protection
• 401(k) with employer match
• Unlimited paid time off + 2 weeks sick and safe leave
• 7 company-paid holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day
• Stocked kitchen

Equal opportunity

Verterra Energy does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.