Senior R&D Manufacturing Engineer

About UsAt Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We're fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we're building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.Formed in 2023, the Antares team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, Ultra Safe Nuclear, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Antares has raised over $39M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has over $4M in government funding. About the TeamAs a member of the R&D team, you will be Antares' expert on manufacturing and machining methods. You will take ownership of developing Antares' first R&D facility, inclusive of layout, machine procurement, installation, and operation. Additionally, you will help develop and document our machining best practices, requirements, and workflow that enable rapid product iteration. On the design side, you will be responsible for working with all teams regularly to ensure parts and assemblies are manufacturable and integrable, starting at the system architecture level. As the product matures from concept to prototype and beyond, you will be responsible for leading the manufacturing planning process and will assist with in-house manufacturing vs. outsourcing trades and vendor selection.The ideal candidate will have experience with various manufacturing methods and direct hands-on experience programming and operating machines. They should be able to confidently identify (or know how to research) the appropriate manufacturing methods. Additionally, they will have design for manufacturing experience, with a proven track record of improving both design and processes. Roles & Responsibilities:Own and manage the Antares Research and Development (R&D) machining and assembly facilityDefine the standard process and workflow for manufacturing prototype, qualification, and production-grade partsParticipate in design reviews and analyze parts/assemblies to assess and influence their form/fit in order to make them more manufacturable, based on achievable process tolerances and inspection capacitiesAnalyze and disposition manufacturing discrepancies and lead multi-disciplinary teams on root cause analysis and corrective actionsDevelop new and evaluate existing manufacturing processes and equipment to reduce non-conformance frequency/severity and reduce operating costsProvide subject matter expertise on multiple manufacturing processes and products, including peer mentoring and development of teammatesIdentify and execute design-for-manufacturability improvements which have system-wide improvements to the departmentCommunicate on a daily basis with supporting departments such as production, machining, maintenance, quality, and design engineering to ensure that product is delivered on time to the correct quantitiesTrain technicians, engineers, and leaders on best-in-class operations practices by driving process improvement workshops; providing training and information briefs on key topics; and demonstrating solutions in the areaParticipate in root cause investigations that arise in development, production, test, integration, and field operation to implement corrective actions to prevent repeat failures.Basic Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or physics5+ years of experience in one or more of the following areas: designing and analyzing mechanical systems, manufacturing engineering, reliability engineering via professional work experience, project/research-based student experience, or a combination of both.Experience designing tools and assembly fixtures using CAD systems.Knowledge of PLM, ERP, and other related manufacturing planning and management systems.Preferred Skills and Experience:Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for problem solving, and desire to optimize modern nuclear design and operation.Master's degree or 5+ years of professional experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering.Demonstrable experience designing, building, testing and troubleshooting mechanical systems.Broad knowledge of materials science as it relates to machining processes, cutting feeds and speedsExperience using CAD software as it relates to creating work instructionsExperience writing G-code and using CAM software such as Fusion360 or MastercamDemonstrated track record of high impact / ROI contributionsStrong project management skills and effective communication of technical concepts across multi-disciplinary teams.Hands-on experience with fluid, gas, or high voltage systems.Leadership experience on a project or research team.Experience using test instrumentation and control components (e.g. pressure transducers, thermocouples, strain gages, relays, solenoid valves, etc.).Experience with various part inspection methods and technologies (micrometers, CMM, white light, etc.)Additional Requirements:Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestonesAbility to lift 50 lbs unassisted; standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying may be required to perform the functions of this positionCultureAt Antares, we like to specifically tie each role to our founding document's set of values-here are the top five cultural values we think you should believe at your core to be successful:Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. "If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete." Over-optimizing the components often degrades the system.Obsess over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycleBe Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's "how it's always been done."Craftsmen - We also focus on the inputs. We aspire to high-quality engineering for its own sake. As such, we invest in personal growth, learning, and developing a long-term career path for exceptional individual contributors. We embrace a beginner's mindset, share knowledge, and never condescend the curious.Loyally Collaborative - Team > Self. We win together. There is nothing more precious than a high-performing team.ITAR RequirementsTo conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.