Power Electronics Manufacturing Engineering Lead

San Carlos, California, United StatesSenior$141,900 - $195,20010+ years

Overview

Joby Aviation is building the future of electric flight, and we need a hands-on Manufacturing Engineering Lead to ramp our Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) Inverter to high-rate production and launch the next-gen Inverter. Based in San Carlos, CA, you'll own the line: standing up equipment, locking in processes, and scaling power electronics manufacturing alongside our Powertrain & Electronics ME team.

This is a builder's role for an engineer who lives in the details — someone with deep mechanical and electrical fundamentals, real shop-floor instincts, and the pragmatism to make hard calls under aggressive timelines. You'll be on the floor with technicians one hour and solving hard problems alongside senior leaders the next. Decisions move fast here, and the work you do will show up in aircraft that fly.

Responsibilities

Own EPU Inverter manufacturing end-to-end — in-house assembly and test, plus scale-up with manufacturing partners; serve as the technical authority on how this product gets built
Drive equipment projects with internal teams and external suppliers (specs, builds, buy-offs, and installs) to deliver production-intent tooling on schedule
Ramp line capacity to hit rate and program milestones by debottlenecking, balancing stations, and proving out throughput
Build the processes that make a fast team faster, establishing clear interfaces with design, quality, and supply chain without bureaucracy
Report line readiness to leadership utilizing clean, data-driven frameworks
Mentor your direct team and influence efficiency across the broader organization by leading by example and raising the performance bar
Partner with Design on DFM and ECRs, with Quality on first-pass yield and defect reduction, and with the Equipment team on readiness milestones
Set clear deliverables, dates, and owners for the manufacturing team while holding accountability boundaries
Own the tooling and equipment budget by building, pressure-testing, and tracking spend against capability and rate
Launch the next-gen Inverter using the best proven manufacturing technologies and methods available to put a novel power electronics platform into the air

Required

BS in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field coupled with 10+ years of experience (ideally including hands-on shop floor environments)
Proven track record launching multiple products from early concept (bench-top prototype) through pilot line and high-rate production as a technical or manufacturing lead
Deep process development and validation experience including PFMEA, control plans, and capability studies
Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals rooted in first principles including GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, fastening, and fits
Direct experience with power electronics, electric motor assembly, or complex electro-mechanical assembly, including associated tooling, fixturing, and test equipment
Strong cross-functional problem-solving instincts focused transparently on root-cause resolution
Genuine appetite for data-driven, floor-level technical details rather than passive status meetings

Desired

Experience leading engineering teams by hiring, coaching, and maximizing the outputs of strong individual contributors
Prior experience operating within highly regulated industries such as Aerospace, Automotive, or Medical Devices
Familiarity with FAA Part 21 production approvals or AS9100 quality systems

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $141,900 - $195,200/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.