Manufacturing Engineer at Specter in San Francisco, CA

Company Background:

Specter is creating a software-defined “control plane” for the physical world. We are starting with protecting American businesses by granting them ubiquitous perception over their physical assets.

To do so, we are creating a connected hardware-software ecosystem on top of multi-modal wireless mesh sensing technology. This allows us to drive down the cost and time of deploying sensors by 10x. Our platform will ultimately become the perception engine for a company’s physical footprint, enabling real-time perimeter visibility and autonomous operations management.

Our co-founders Xerxes and Philip are passionate about empowering our partners in the fast-approaching world of physical AI and robotics. We are a small, fast-growing team who hail from Anduril, Tesla, Uber, and the U.S. Special Forces.

Role + Responsibilities:

Specter is hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to bridge the gap between hardware engineering design and scalable production. You will work at the intersection of rapid prototyping, design for manufacturability, and field deployment readiness. This role is critical to ensure our hardware products can transition smoothly from the engineering bench to pilot production and ultimately to commercial-scale deployments.

Potential responsibilities include:

• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers to design products that are manufacturable, testable, and reliable
• Develop and implement DFM/DFA guidelines and provide feedback early in the design cycle to enable rapid build iterations and downstream scalability
• Design and document manufacturing processes, assembly instructions, and work instructions for prototype and pilot builds
• Specify, source, and deploy tools, fixtures, and assembly aids to enable fast, repeatable builds
• Own the build process for engineering prototypes, including planning, hands-on assembly support, and troubleshooting
• Work with supply chain and external manufacturing partners to ensure readiness for NPI builds and eventual ramp to commercial volumes
• Drive yield improvement and root-cause analysis for assembly, test, and field failures
• Manage and help implement systems for inventory control, traceability, and material flow
• Support the rollout and utilization of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and other production tracking tools
• Establish and maintain quality processes, including inspection standards, process audits, and documentation for compliance and traceability
• Support design transfer activities for moving products from engineering release into production and field deployment
• Collaborate on the development of test processes and validation plans for component and system-level verification
• Travel as needed to suppliers, contract manufacturers, and deployment sites to support builds and resolve manufacturing issues on the ground

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or hardware NPI, preferably in fast-paced, hardware-focused environments
• Experience working hands-on with mechanical and electromechanical assemblies, including troubleshooting, rework, and process improvement
• Strong familiarity with DFM/DFA principles and translating engineering designs into scalable manufacturing processes
• Experience managing inventory systems, material traceability, and material flow in manufacturing environments
• Exposure to implementing or using Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and production tracking tools
• Familiarity with establishing and maintaining quality systems (e.g., inspection plans, process audits, CAPA)
• Ability to develop and document build processes, work instructions, and quality inspection procedures
• Comfortable working in ambiguous, fast-iteration environments where designs change rapidly
• Knowledge of tolerance analysis, statistical process control, and basic quality engineering tools
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset
• Bonus: experience with ruggedized or mission-critical electronics, automated test development, or hardware deployments in challenging environments