Staff Manufacturing Engineer, E-Motor

About

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Signal Hill, California, Karman Industries is at the forefront of revolutionizing industrial thermal energy. Our mission is to electrify global thermal systems across data centers, manufacturing, and energy industries. Karman is developing the revolutionary Heat Processing Unit (HPU) to reinvent thermal handling for giga-scale data centers & AI factories. The HPU is built around a supercritical CO2 chiller system utilizing a high-speed electrically driven turbomachinery core. Our system aims to reduce energy consumption in data center thermal management by greater than 25% and increase energy density by 10x.

At Karman Industries, we are committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation thrives. Our team is composed of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of industrial manufacturing. Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Role Summary

We are seeking a skilled and hands-on Manufacturing Engineer – E-Motor to lead the manufacturing and assembly of Karman's internal motor line, standing up the equipment, processes, and workflows to bring motor manufacturing in-house alongside our existing supplier program. This role is critical to establishing robust manufacturing capabilities from the ground up, including equipment layout, process development, vendor selection, tooling selection, and workflow design. We are a team that values first-principles thinking, hands-on problem solving, and close cross-functional collaboration to deliver cohesive, high-performance systems.

Responsibilities

- Join the effort to stand up Karman's first internal e-motor manufacturing line — from concept through equipment commissioning and production handover
- Lead rotor and stator manufacturing process and equipment engineering from initial concepting through full-scale production
- Collaborate across manufacturing engineering, facilities, and program teams to ensure seamless coordination and execution as the line is built out
- Work with product design and Karman's existing motor suppliers to validate supplier capabilities, cross-reference outsourced vs. in-house process specs, and inform the buy-vs-build roadmap as internal capability comes online
- Own equipment and process specification development, vendor capability assessment, and data-driven supplier sourcing for capital equipment and tooling
- Provide in-depth design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback to the product engineering team so motor assembly processes are cost-efficient, robust, and high-quality — including GD&T alignment for fabrication, metrology, and assembly
- Lead feasibility studies and research into manufacturing technologies and equipment approaches suited to Karman's motor volumes and specs
- Develop process documentation, control plans, and work instructions for new motor manufacturing processes
- Drive process validation and production readiness activities; troubleshoot issues affecting safety, quality, cost, or schedule as the line comes online
- Provide technical support to production/operations as the line transitions to steady-state, including training and documentation
- Own project execution against cost, safety, performance, and delivery schedule for the buildout

Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience
- 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience
- Experience with magnet feeding and insertion, rotor balancing systems, or motor/stator manufacturing preferred; drive unit, e-axle, or electric machine manufacturing engineering experience a plus
- Demonstrated ability to scope, design, and commission a manufacturing line from scratch — this is a from-zero build, not a scale-up of an existing line
- Proficient in 2D/3D CAD (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or similar)
- Experience transitioning systems from prototype to production

Preferred Qualifications:

- Deep experience in manufacturing engineering for early-stage or greenfield production environments
- Knowledgeable in low-volume and early-ramp manufacturing practices (prototyping, GD&T, equipment and supplier selection, DFM, process capability, CAD/PLM systems)
- Proficient in complex electro-mechanical system design, motors in particular
- Experience creating technical specifications for manufacturing equipment and process documentation
- Comfortable working with significant ownership and limited existing infrastructure — this is a startup, ground-floor build
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across product design, quality, supply chain, and external vendors
- Critical problem-solving and structured, documentation-driven approach to organizing ambiguous, early-stage work

Role level to be determined during interview process

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k)-retirement plan.

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Compensation

Staff Manufacturing Engineer: $155K – $225K

Principle Manufacturing Engineer: $170K – $260K