Principal Manufacturing Engineer (Avionics / Electromechanical / Harnessing)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. The role requires regular lifting of 25 lbs., bending, stooping, and standing for extended periods. Employment in the United States requires lawful U.S. work authorization and eligibility as a U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology.

Salary: $181,913–$262,763 per year, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

hirify.global develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing payloads, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses, with vehicles and equipment built, integrated, and tested in-house.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for pharmaceutical processing hardware, experiment modules, and customer-furnished payload equipment.
• Develop and maintain work instructions, assembly travelers, process specifications, and acceptance test procedures for payload fabrication and integration.
• Translate customer requirements and Interface Control Document constraints into executable production processes and serve as the primary manufacturing interface for payload customers.
• Implement contamination control, cleanliness, and handling protocols for sensitive payload hardware, including pharmaceutical-grade and precision optical components.
• Collaborate with payload design engineers on DFM and DFA feedback covering assembly accessibility, connector placement, thermal interfaces, and testability.
• Execute acceptance testing, functional verification, pre-integration inspections, traceable build records, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, MRB dispositions, and payload integration milestones.

Requirements

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience; typically 6–10+ years.
• 6+ years of manufacturing experience with electromechanical assemblies in electronics, aerospace, defense, or another high-reliability industry.
• Experience with wire harness fabrication, IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards, and connector assembly, including D-sub, circular MIL-spec, or coax connectors.
• Strong first-principles thinking and the ability to trace build defects to root causes and design durable electrical and mechanical fixes for avionics and electromechanical assemblies.
• Experience reading and interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and connector pinouts.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including comfort working directly with production-floor technicians.
• Physical ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods.
• Lawful authorization to work in the United States and U.S. person eligibility for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering specializing in Embedded Systems, Microelectronics, RF, Control Systems, or a related discipline.
• Experience with spacecraft or launch vehicle electromechanical integration in a production environment.
• Familiarity with ESD control, grounding and bonding requirements, and cleanliness protocols for flight hardware.
• Experience writing or revising work instructions and MRB dispositions for electromechanical non-conformances.
• Knowledge of cable routing in complex vehicle structures with thermal, vibration, and EMI constraints.
• Hands-on experience with automated wire processing equipment or harness board tooling.
• Experience transitioning electromechanical assemblies from engineering development to rate production.
• Experience with PDM/PLM systems such as Windchill, Teamcenter, or Arena for electrical BOM configuration control.
• Prior experience at a small-to-mid-size aerospace company with end-to-end ownership and multiple responsibilities.

Culture & Benefits

• On-site work at a production facility where spacecraft, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested.
• Eligibility for incentives through stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
• Inclusive equal-opportunity workplace with evaluation based on merit, qualifications, and performance.