Sr. Manufacturing Engineer

Antora Energy delivers affordable, reliable energy to industry, data centers, and the grid. Our thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines.

We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and work with humility and openness. We are committed to building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to a future powered by abundant, clean, low-cost energy.

Position Summary

Antora is scaling production while preparing the newest generation of our product and a new gigafactory to build it in. We are looking for a manufacturing engineer to own continuous improvement on our current production line, develop the processes for our next-generation product, and help bring the new factory up. On the current line, you will own rate, yield, and stability, driven from data and standard work, in partnership with the skilled technicians who build the product every day. For the new product generation, you will develop station-level processes from product design through production validation. In the new factory, you will contribute manufacturing requirements to its design, commission equipment and processes on site, and hand a running line to the team that will operate it. You will be the engineer the line counts on today, and one of the people who defines how we build tomorrow.

Roles & Responsibilities

Own the performance of the current production line

Be the accountable engineer for rate, yield, and stability on the mainline through the remaining Gen1 program

Drive continuous improvement against the established baseline: cycle time, first-pass yield, and top loss drivers, with visible results

Lead structured problem solving from containment through permanent corrective action, and address non-conformances as they arise

Share in system ownership across the line, carrying assigned subsystems through production support and product version changes: process plan and work instruction releases, ECO incorporation, tooling readiness, and technician training

Share in the team's standing work: EVT build support, issue triage, tooling upkeep, and equipment commissioning

Work with the manufacturing specialists to identify issues and drive them down, and build their capability to run and improve processes independently

Improve safety through partnership with production and EH&S

Develop next-generation processes for assigned scope

Own station-level process development within the Gen2 line architecture: process definition, PFMEAs, work instructions, and the tooling and equipment requirements identified by PDR

Bring current-line evidence into early DFM reviews and drive manufacturability into designs before they harden

Support prototype and EVT builds, and carry assigned processes through Production Validation Testing

Support the new gigafactory's development, launch, and commissioning

Support the design and development of the new factory: contribute process and equipment requirements, station footprints, and material flow input to the factory design and its review cycle

Install, qualify, and commission production equipment and processes at the new facility

Transfer proven processes to the new site with documentation and training, and hand off to the local manufacturing engineering team with a bounded open-issues list

Travel as required through launch and commissioning periods

Contribute to Antora's culture

Put team and mission first

Invite critique early and treat feedback as material that strengthens the work

Be someone technicians and engineers want building next to them

Key Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent practical experience

Key Requirements

3-5 years of manufacturing engineering in a production environment, with direct ownership of a running line's or process's performance

A demonstrated continuous improvement record with measured results: rate, yield, cycle time, scrap, or availability you can show you moved

Structured problem-solving discipline: root cause analysis and process capability applied to real production issues; PFMEA experience

Proven ability to author and own work instructions, control plans, and to incorporate engineering changes cleanly through MES/PLM and BOM structures

Grounded in lean manufacturing: standard work, line balance, takt, material flow, and visual management

Experience commissioning production equipment or bringing a line, station, or process from installation to technician-run production

Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred) sufficient to specify fixtures and review tooling designs for process fit

Strong cross-functional collaborator, decisive with incomplete information, and comfortable in a fast-moving startup environment

Ability to travel domestically as needed, up to approximately 25% during factory launch and commissioning periods, with typical travel expected to be significantly lower

Additional Qualifications Desired

Welding process development or qualification: procedure development, weld DOE, and process control on production welds

Experience specifying, integrating, or commissioning automated or robotic production equipment, vendor-built or in-house

Experience launching a new factory or production line, including contributing to layout and equipment requirements

Experience transferring a process or line to a new facility and training the receiving team

Experience partnering with or leading technicians in a continuous improvement program

Experience with the assembly and handling of very large or heavy products: crane and rigging operations, heavy fixtures, and material handling equipment

Deep MES/PLM fluency, including system administration or configuration in a production environment

Six Sigma or equivalent formal problem-solving training

Experience with battery, energy storage, or other thermally or electrically demanding hardware products

Work Location: Onsite - San Jose, CA

Salary Range: $131,000 USD - $157,000 USD

Sala ry Basis: Annual

Please note that the salary range listed above reflects Antora Energy's estimated pay for this position. The actual salary offered will be within the posted range and determined based on several factors including but not limited to a candidate's experiences, credentials and expertise, as they pertain to the position's requirements.

In addition to a competitive base salary, Antora Energy’s Total Rewards program includes equity compensation in the form of stock options, a premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance, a 401K plan with employer contributions, flexible spending accounts, and an industry leading paid-time-off policy that features flexible and inclusive holiday observance, as well as paid volunteer time off.

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When it comes to stopping climate change, we need everyone. We believe that having a diversity of backgrounds and experiences strengthens all of us, and we strive to create an environment where every one of us is empowered to create meaningful change.