Company

Birdstop, Inc. is an American drone technology company. Made possible by its recent breakthroughs in regulatory approvals and AI systems, Birdstop drones can operate continuously in a fully automated mode without personnel onsite. Birdstop systems actively serve our nation's critical infrastructure and public safety organizations with rapid response capabilities.

Role

We are developing high-performance drones and are looking for a Manufacturing Manager to lead the transition from prototype builds to structured, scalable production. This is a highly hands-on role that combines process engineering, production management, quality assurance, and team development. You will work closely with R&D, software, and supply chain teams to deliver reliable, repeatable drone systems with increasing production volumes and complexity.

Candidate

We are looking for a builder at heart who jumps at the opportunity to create something that doesn’t exist yet. You have a "skunk works" mindset: resourceful, hands-on, and fast-moving, but also committed to building reliable and repeatable processes that scale. You're comfortable working in tight feedback loops with engineers and technicians, and take pride in turning rough prototypes into clean, documented, and debugged builds. This role, like every role at Birdstop, will often be put into unpredictable situations with unforeseen technical, regulatory, or logistical challenges. In some of these cases, it will be the first time facing this challenge for anyone at Birdstop or in the industry at large. You must be able to meet unprecedented problems head on, make sound judgements, conduct disciplined diagnostics, think outside the box, and work well with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manufacturing Process Design & Optimization
• Develop and implement efficient manual and semi-automated assembly processes for drone systems.
• Design and iterate fixtures, jigs, and tools to reduce assembly time and human error.
• Translate engineering documentation into detailed assembly guides, BOMs, and SOPs.
• Ensure that all manufacturing operations adhere to safety regulations and best practices.
• Quality Assurance & Testing
• Build structured QA flows including motor alignment, vibration profiling, thermal testing, and system-level pre-flight checks.
• Set up test benches for component and board level validation.
• Work with the software development team to develop scripts that automate testing of drones.
• Ensure traceability and version control across production batches and test data.
• Identify root causes of recurring build issues and drive corrective process improvements.
• Production Planning & Material Readiness
• Work on procurement of components to maintain consistent parts availability and identify at-risk supply items.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors for PCB assembly, cable harnessing, and frame part fabrication.
• Track inventory, component usage, and yield to support forecasting and cost controls.
• Production Scale-Up
• Prepare for increased production quantities by improving process repeatability and reducing manual bottlenecks.
• Assist in the transition from development boards to custom PCBs, supporting firmware flashing and tuning workflows.
• Guide the setup of scalable bench layouts and semi-automated calibration/testing rigs.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing or industrial engineering, ideally in electronics, drones, robotics, or aerospace sectors.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Proficiency in designing and implementing manual assembly flows, including tool and jig development.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage QA processes, test stations, and inspection workflows.
• Experience working in low-to-mid volume production environments and improving throughput and reliability over time.
• Exceptional attention to detail and documentation discipline (BOMs, revision logs, work instructions).
• Work authorization in the United States (no visa sponsorship available).

Preferred Requirements

• Work experience in the field of drones.
• Familiarity with PCB assembly processes and hands-on experience debugging hardware/firmware integration issues.
• Understanding of thermal and power management challenges in compact electronics.
• Exposure to inventory systems, lightweight ERP tools, or MES systems.
• Experience interfacing with vendors for custom part production, PCBA, or enclosure manufacturing.
• Knowledge of relevant compliance and testing standards.

What we offer

• Opportunity to own and shape the manufacturing process of an advanced drone platform from the ground up.
• Fast-paced, high-responsibility environment with the ability to directly impact product quality and company success.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Career path toward senior operations or engineering leadership roles as production scales.