Senior Manufacturing Engineer Jobs in Austin, TX

Job Purpose

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer serves as the senior technical authority for assembly process and equipment design within the Industrialization team. This position designs the assembly lines, fixtures, and material flow systems that convert KARNO prototype and development builds into repeatable, scalable production operations — and then systematically removes waste, labor content, and variation from those operations.

Working closely with industrialization leadership, design engineering, production, quality, and supply chain, the Senior Manufacturing Engineer owns the most complex assembly value streams end to end: line and station design, fixture and tooling design, material presentation and handling, process qualification, and continuous waste reduction. This position sets the technical standard for how assembly processes are designed and documented at Hyliion, provides mentorship and design review for other manufacturing engineers, and is accountable for measurable improvement in cycle time, first-pass yield, labor content, and ergonomics across the assembly areas.

AI at Hyliion

At Hyliion, AI is core to how we work. We equip every team member with leading AI tools and count on you to use them — to move faster, solve harder problems, and help us realize the full potential of KARNO technology for the world.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assembly Line and Cell Design: Design assembly lines, cells, and workstations for KARNO core, module, and subassembly operations. Establish work sequencing, balance work content to takt, define station layouts and footprints, and design lines that accommodate planned rate increases rather than requiring rebuild to reach them.
• Fixture, Jig, and Tooling Design: Design assembly and inspection fixtures, jigs, and tooling from concept through qualification. Own datum and locating strategy, tolerance stack-up and GD&T, error-proofing (poka-yoke) features, and fixture qualification including repeatability and gage R&R studies. Review and approve fixture designs produced by other engineers.
• Material Handling and Flow Optimization: Design material presentation and handling systems that put the right part at the point of use in the right orientation — kitting strategy, cart and rack design, sequencing, kanban and pull loops, and travel distance and motion reduction. Partner with Supply Chain and Production Control on line-side stocking, min/max levels, and WIP control.
• Waste Reduction in Assembly Operations: Systematically identify and eliminate waste across assembly operations — motion, waiting, rework, overprocessing, transport, and excess inventory. Reduce labor content and cycle time per unit through standard work, work sequencing, changeover reduction, error-proofing, and station design. Quantify the value of each change before implementation and verify the result afterward.
• Prototype Development and Production Scaling: Collaborate with design engineering to develop prototype build processes and transition them to efficient, repeatable production-scale operations, including cross-site process transfer between the Milford, OH and Cedar Park, TX facilities.
• Process Development and Optimization: Design, develop, implement, and qualify manufacturing processes for engine, generator, electric machine, and precision electromechanical assembly operations, including processes involving high-voltage systems, sealed pressure systems, and additively manufactured components.
• Process Documentation and Control: Author and maintain the process documentation set — PFMEAs, control plans, work instructions, travelers, and routings — and ensure the manufacturing BOM structure reflects how the product is actually built. Verify on the floor that the documented process is the process being followed.
• Technical Leadership and Mentorship: Serve as the subject matter expert for assembly process and fixture design. Provide technical guidance to production teams, mentor and develop manufacturing engineers and technicians, lead design reviews, and represent Manufacturing Engineering in engineering design reviews with the standing to influence design for manufacturability and hold configuration stability.
• Capital Equipment and Automation: Specify, justify, procure, install, and qualify capital equipment, semi-automated assembly aids, and material handling equipment. Build the business case, run the vendor selection, and own installation and process qualification through to validated production use.
• Additive Manufacturing: Integrate additive manufacturing technologies into production processes where applicable, including design and process considerations specific to additively manufactured assemblies.
• Problem-Solving and Root Cause Analysis: Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for assembly process and quality issues using 5-Why, 8D, DOE, and statistical methods. Drive corrective actions to verified closure rather than disposition.
• Project Management: Manage cross-functional industrialization projects, ensuring timelines, budgets, and objectives are met, and escalating early with a recommendation attached.
• Safety and Ergonomics: Design workstations, fixtures, and material handling that support safe work — reach, lift, posture, tool access, and energy control. Participate actively in hazard identification, near-miss reporting, and LOTO and electrical safety discipline.
• Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned, needed, or required for the business.

Qualifications

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications include:

• Education, Experience and Certifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering (or related field) required.
  • Advanced Technical or Business degree beneficial.
  • 10+ years of experience in a manufacturing engineering role, with significant exposure to engine, genset, electric motor, or precision electromechanical assembly operations.
  • Demonstrated ownership of assembly line and cell design, from concept layout through installed and qualified production use.
  • Demonstrated depth in fixture, jig, and tooling design — designed, built, qualified, and iterated, not specified and delegated.
  • Experience taking prototype and low-volume builds into repeatable production processes.
  • Familiarity with business case drivers and value creation. Ability to objectively compare and rationalize options for the path forward.
  • Aerospace or other precision manufacturing industry experience is highly preferred.
  • Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt) beneficial.
• Skills and Abilities
  • Expert-level command of assembly process and equipment design: line layout and balancing, station and workstation design, fixture and tooling design, error-proofing, and process qualification.
  • Proficiency in 3D CAD required, with Siemens NX strongly preferred — NX is our design platform, and native fluency accelerates contribution meaningfully. Candidates with strong proficiency in another major platform (SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, Inventor, or equivalent) will receive full consideration and are expected to develop working NX proficiency within the first several months; demonstrated willingness and aptitude to learn NX is required.
  • Fluency in tolerance stack-up analysis and GD&T, and the ability to read, interpret, and challenge engineering drawings, BOMs, ECOs, and specifications.
  • Demonstrated skill in material handling and flow design — point-of-use presentation, kitting, kanban and pull systems, line-side stocking, and travel distance and motion reduction.
  • Practical command of waste identification and elimination in assembly operations, including time study and work measurement, standard work development, changeover reduction, and labor content analysis.
  • Experience with DOE, gage R&R, capability studies, and formal process qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ or equivalent).
  • Demonstrated experience implementing automation and semi-automated assembly aids into production processes.
  • Experience with custom fabrication, engine and generator assembly, and electric motor or electric machine assembly processes.
  • Proficiency with manufacturing execution systems (MES) and ERP routing and BOM structures; PLM experience (Teamcenter or equivalent) beneficial.
  • Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies applied in practice rather than in theory.
  • Familiarity with automotive or aerospace industry standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., QS9000, ISO 9001, AS9100, NADCAP).
  • Experience with additive manufacturing (3D printing) beneficial.
  • Ability to mentor engineers and technicians, lead design reviews, and influence cross-functional partners without direct authority.
  • Comfort operating in a pre-commercial environment where product configuration is still changing and the process must be built rather than inherited.

Role Classification and Working Conditions

This is a salaried, exempt-level position. This position typically works in an office environment; and given the nature of our business is also exposed to operations/warehouses/production environments.

Physical/Other Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, access equipment in confined or elevated positions, and occasionally lift and move materials up to 40 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Compliance with all site PPE and safety requirements is mandatory.
• Temporary extended on-site oversight for new process development preferred.
• Ongoing travel to company engineering and production sites up to 30%.