Principal Manufacturing Engineer, Additive at Beehive… · Knoxville

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost.

Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Knoxville, Tennessee facility.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineer with a strong additive manufacturing background to support production operations through process development, industrialization, continuous improvement, and technical problem solving. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and/or Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ), including build preparation, process parameter control, powder handling, post-processing, equipment troubleshooting, and production scale-up within a high-precision manufacturing environment. Experience in aerospace manufacturing is strongly preferred. This role will work closely with production, quality, supply chain, maintenance, and Lifecycle Manufacturing Engineering to ensure safe, capable, repeatable, and scalable additive manufacturing processes.

What You’ll Do...

• Own manufacturing process execution, capability, and production readiness for assigned manufacturing areas, processes, products, or components
• Translate product manufacturing strategy, process intent, and technical requirements provided by Lifecycle Manufacturing Engineering into capable, repeatable, and scalable production processes
• Develop, implement, qualify, and continuously improve manufacturing processes across additive manufacturing, machining, assembly, inspection, post-processing, or related advanced manufacturing operations
• Lead process implementation and production-readiness activities from NPI transfer through sustained production and rate ramp
• Partner with Lifecycle Manufacturing Engineering to ensure manufacturing requirements, product characteristics, process intent, and technical risks are properly translated into site-level manufacturing controls
• Lead development and maintenance of manufacturing Process Flow Diagrams, PFMEAs, Control Plans, work instructions, standard work, routings, and other production process documentation
• Ensure critical and key product characteristics are appropriately created, controlled, measured, and verified within the manufacturing process
• Lead manufacturing process qualification, capability studies, and production validation activities prior to release into sustained production
• Provide direct technical support to Operations for manufacturing issues affecting safety, quality, delivery, cost, yield, or throughput
• Own implementation of engineering and configuration changes at the manufacturing site, including updates to tooling, programming, routings, work instructions, inspection requirements, qualification activities, and operator training
• Monitor and improve site manufacturing performance including first-pass yield, scrap, rework, cycle time, takt attainment, throughput, process capability, and equipment effectiveness
• Support low-rate initial production and production ramp activities while ensuring manufacturing processes transition into stable, controlled, and sustainable production systems
• Serve as the site manufacturing engineering representative on Manufacturing Program Teams, production-readiness reviews, and other cross-functional manufacturing forums
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, process capability, throughput, and manufacturing scalability

You have...

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field

Experience

• 12+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in automotive, aerospace, defense, propulsion, turbomachinery, additive manufacturing, machining, assembly, or complex mechanical systems environments

Skills & Competencies

• Strong CAD skillset (Siemens NX and Teamcenter environments preferred)
• Experience developing, implementing, qualifying, and sustaining manufacturing processes in a production environment
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes such as tight-tolerance machining, assembly, additive manufacturing, welding, inspection, or related advanced manufacturing methods
• Working knowledge of GD&T and the relationship between engineering requirements, manufacturing processes, and inspection methods
• Experience supporting products through NPI, production transition, and sustained production environments
• Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Lifecycle Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management teams
• Demonstrated experience improving manufacturing performance including yield, cycle time, scrap, throughput, quality, or process stability
• Strong problem-solving, technical communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced development and production environment
• The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government-issued security clearance is required. U.S. Citizenship is required, as only U.S. Citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Nice to have...

• Experience with aerospace propulsion systems or rotating machinery
• Experience in additive manufacturing and/or tight-tolerance machining environments
• Experience working within APQP-based manufacturing systems
• Experience scaling manufacturing processes from prototype or low-rate production into higher-rate production
• Experience with takt-time analysis, capacity modeling, OEE, line balancing, or manufacturing constraint management
• Experience implementing tooling, automation, mistake-proofing, or manufacturing equipment improvements
• Experience supporting AS9100 / IATF16949 manufacturing environments
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System, Theory of Constraints, or similar production-system methodologies
• Prior experience in a high-growth or fast-paced engineering and manufacturing organization

If this sounds like you, please submit an application with your resume. This could be the opportunity you are looking for to expand your skills, contribute to a winning team, and work with talented people who love what they do and take pride in our mission.

Beehive Industries offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term disability coverage from day one. We also offer a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match. Every role at Beehive Industries is bonus eligible and will also receive equity in the company.

Beehive Industries is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.