About the role
The Principal Manufacturing Engineer is a recognized expert responsible for developing, guiding, and executing high-impact manufacturing strategies across products, technologies, and sites in a high-tech production environment. This role defines and drives the bring-up of new products, leads resolution of highly complex technical challenges, and helps shape the organization’s long-term process and technology roadmap. Operating with exceptional autonomy, the principal engineer influences product architecture, drives technology selection, and serves as a mentor, advisor, and technical leader across functions and business units.
Key Responsibilities
- Leads major process transfers, factory ramp-ups, and manufacturing readiness programs across global or multi-site operations.
- Influences product design and architecture by collaborating early with R&D and design teams to ensure manufacturability, modularity, and testability (DFx).
- Develops and leads strategic initiatives in advanced manufacturing technologies (e.g., automation, precision assembly, Industry 4.0, digital twins) to enable scalable, cost-effective, and high-quality production.
- Leads new product prototype builds with exceptional project management and reporting.
- Sets technical direction and design standards for high-complexity process development and deployment.
- Authors and reviews complex assembly documentation, standard operating procedures, technology assessments, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Builds organizational capability by mentoring engineers, leading communities of practice, and advancing best practices.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Deep technical expertise in advanced high-tech manufacturing domains (e.g., advanced robotics, microelectronics, additive manufacturing, wafer-level packaging).
- Mastery of structured problem solving, process modeling, and validation in highly regulated or precision-driven environments.
- Strong business acumen and systems thinking; understands the intersection of cost, quality, speed, and risk.
- Proven track record of leading major cross-functional or cross-site projects with broad technical and operational impact.
- Skilled communicator and influencer across technical and executive audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor and grow technical talent and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Typical Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering required; Master’s strongly preferred.
- Experience: 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in high-tech manufacturing, with a demonstrated record of technical leadership and innovation.
- Certifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent preferred; deep familiarity with industry and regulatory standards (e.g., IPC, ISO, or automotive/aerospace-specific standards).
About Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics builds advanced mobile manipulation robots with remarkable mobility, dexterity perception and agility. We use sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the potential of complex mechanisms. Our world-class development teams develop prototypes for wild new concepts, do build-test-build engineering and field testing and transform successful designs into robot products. Our goal is to change your idea of what robots can do.
About the role
The Principal Manufacturing Engineer is a recognized expert responsible for developing, guiding, and executing high-impact manufacturing strategies across products, technologies, and sites in a high-tech production environment. This role defines and drives the bring-up of new products, leads resolution of highly complex technical challenges, and helps shape the organization’s long-term process and technology roadmap. Operating with exceptional autonomy, the principal engineer influences product architecture, drives technology selection, and serves as a mentor, advisor, and technical leader across functions and business units.
Key Responsibilities
- Leads major process transfers, factory ramp-ups, and manufacturing readiness programs across global or multi-site operations.
- Influences product design and architecture by collaborating early with R&D and design teams to ensure manufacturability, modularity, and testability (DFx).
- Develops and leads strategic initiatives in advanced manufacturing technologies (e.g., automation, precision assembly, Industry 4.0, digital twins) to enable scalable, cost-effective, and high-quality production.
- Leads new product prototype builds with exceptional project management and reporting.
- Sets technical direction and design standards for high-complexity process development and deployment.
- Authors and reviews complex assembly documentation, standard operating procedures, technology assessments, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Builds organizational capability by mentoring engineers, leading communities of practice, and advancing best practices.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Deep technical expertise in advanced high-tech manufacturing domains (e.g., advanced robotics, microelectronics, additive manufacturing, wafer-level packaging).
- Mastery of structured problem solving, process modeling, and validation in highly regulated or precision-driven environments.
- Strong business acumen and systems thinking; understands the intersection of cost, quality, speed, and risk.
- Proven track record of leading major cross-functional or cross-site projects with broad technical and operational impact.
- Skilled communicator and influencer across technical and executive audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor and grow technical talent and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Typical Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering required; Master’s strongly preferred.
- Experience: 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in high-tech manufacturing, with a demonstrated record of technical leadership and innovation.
- Certifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent preferred; deep familiarity with industry and regulatory standards (e.g., IPC, ISO, or automotive/aerospace-specific standards).
About Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics builds advanced mobile manipulation robots with remarkable mobility, dexterity perception and agility. We use sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the potential of complex mechanisms. Our world-class development teams develop prototypes for wild new concepts, do build-test-build engineering and field testing and transform successful designs into robot products. Our goal is to change your idea of what robots can do.