Lead Manufacturing Engineer (DFMA - Avionics)

Location: Huntington Beach, California, United States. U.S. work authorization or eligibility for required ITAR authorizations is required.

Salary: $140,000–$180,000 USD annually, plus performance incentives and equity eligibility.

Company

hirify.global is a defense technology startup developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms and decentralized defense systems.

What you will do

• Own and maintain the Avionics DFMA guide covering design rules, preferred components, connectors, wiring, processes, tolerances, examples, and review checklists.
• Define DFM, DFA, and DFT standards for PCBAs, wire harnesses, connectors, and avionics box builds, including connector retention, mate assurance, poka-yoke, and station-level verification.
• Review vehicle and electrical architectures early, lead virtual assembly studies, and establish harness routing, installation, retention, ergonomics, and automation requirements.
• Build should-cost, cycle-time, production-rate, capital-investment, and quality models; define manufacturing requirements for RFQs and evaluate supplier proposals.
• Lead R&D on automated harness fabrication, flex and rigid-flex circuits, interconnects, connector detection, potting, coatings, and new manufacturing processes.
• Support suppliers and production through DFMEA/PFMEA, manufacturing trials, root-cause analysis, process qualification, mentoring, and DFMA function development.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of avionics, PCBA, harness manufacturing, or design engineering experience taking hardware into production in aerospace, defense, automotive, or consumer electronics.
• Working knowledge of IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620, SMT processes, box build, and electrical test.
• Strong manufacturing and industrial engineering skills, including cycle-time analysis, OEE, Cp/Cpk, gauge R&R, DOE, error proofing, ergonomics, and ROI.
• Working knowledge of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups, with proficiency in 3D CAD and familiarity with ECAD tools.
• Must meet U.S. ITAR eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations; employment authorization is verified through E-Verify.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree, IPC CIS or CIT certification, Lean or Six Sigma certification, or formal DFMA training.
• Knowledge of automotive and MIL-spec connector standards, including SAE/USCAR-2, USCAR-25, and MIL-DTL-38999.
• Experience with high-volume harness systems, ruggedized defense electronics, AS9100 environments, or automotive and consumer electronics production.
• Experience with should-cost modeling, value engineering, DFMEAs, PFMEAs, patents, publications, or productionized processes.

Culture & Benefits

• Startup environment focused on rapid manufacturing innovation and national security.
• Competitive base salary with performance-based incentives and equity participation.
• Healthcare, dental, vision, retirement savings, and paid time off.
• Funding for continuing education, training, and career development.
• Extended hours and weekends may be required as needed.