Associate Engineer, Manufacturing

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-10-05

Job description

We are seeking a motivated Associate Manufacturing Engineer to support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes for next-generation aerospace systems. In this role, you will partner with Design Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to transition products from design into production while supporting prototype builds, new product introduction (NPI), and production ramp-up. 

This position may support one or more aircraft systems, including airframe structures, electrical systems, propulsion, mechanical systems, avionics, final integration, or ground support equipment. The ideal candidate is a hands-on problem solver who enjoys working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and contributing to the production of advanced aerospace products. 

What you'll do:

• Develop, implement, and optimize manufacturing processes for assigned products or aircraft systems.  

• Design and improve assembly tools, fixtures, jigs, and manufacturing aids to support safe, repeatable, and efficient production.  

• Create and maintain work instructions, manufacturing process documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and process flows.  

• Partner with Design Engineering to improve manufacturability, assembly efficiency, quality, and cost through Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFM/DFA).  

• Support prototype builds, engineering builds, production readiness activities, and new product introductions.  

• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues using root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).  

• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Industrial Engineering to improve safety, quality, throughput, and productivity.  

• Support tooling validation, first article inspections, process qualification, and production validation activities.  

• Utilize CAD software to develop tooling concepts, manufacturing layouts, and production support equipment.  

• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing waste, improving quality, and increasing manufacturing efficiency.  

• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with engineering requirements, quality standards, and company procedures.  

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.  

• 0–3 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, process engineering, or a related field (internship and co-op experience considered).  

• Understanding of manufacturing processes, assembly methods, and production operations.  

• Familiarity with CAD software such as CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent.  

• Basic understanding of engineering drawings, GD&T, and manufacturing documentation.  

• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.  

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative manufacturing environment.  

• Excellent communication and organizational skills.  

Preferred qualifications:

• Internship or professional experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, or advanced manufacturing.  

• Experience supporting prototype builds, NPI, or production environments.  

• Familiarity with machining, composites, electrical assemblies, mechanical assemblies, or final system integration.  

• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.  

• Experience with ERP, MES, or PLM systems.  

• Familiarity with AS9100 or other regulated manufacturing environments. 

Explore around this job

Field: Engineering, Construction and Energy Sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering All jobs at Shield AI Jobs in Washington Jobs in Seattle, WA Seattle city guide Washington state guide King County economy

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About the role

This is a — role in the Engineering, Construction and Energy field (Manufacturing and hardware engineering) at Shield AI.

We could not match this job title to one occupation in the official wage statistics, so no pay estimate is shown. Pay is not in the source listing; ask the employer for the range and compare in the 240 job niches.

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How to prepare and behave

This is editorial guidance, not information from the employer.

• Read the whole description and match your examples to its requirements; use the same words the posting uses where they are true for you.
• Research the employer before the interview: what it does, who its customers are and recent news; prepare two or three questions about the work.
• Arrive early (or log in early for a video call), dress one step above the daily dress code, and test your camera and audio beforehand.
• Answer with short stories: the situation, what you did and the result. Give numbers when you have them and never invent them.
• Be honest about gaps; say what you did to learn and how fast you can close them.
• Ask about the team, the first 90 days, how success is measured and the schedule; do not open with salary and time off.
• When pay comes up, know the market range for the occupation and your lowest acceptable offer before you answer; ask for the full package in writing.
• Send a short thank-you message within a day, mentioning one thing you discussed.

Know your rights as a candidate and an employee:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: prohibited employment practices
• U.S. Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division
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The city

The job is in Seattle, WA. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.

How Seattle compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Seattle is #1 by population, #76 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #8 for college degrees (#1 = most), #8 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, King County, is #1 of 39 counties for average pay ($132,279).

The place in numbers

Seattle has 754,195 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 9.6% of the population of Washington. It covers 84 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 8,979 people per square mile. The median age is 35.6, 7% younger than the state median (35.6 against 38.3).

Housing

The median gross rent is $2,030 a month (rent plus utilities), 15% above the state median ($2,030 against $1,760). Over a year that is 19.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $938,600, which is 7.6 times the median household income ($123,860); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 43.7% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (43.7% against 63.8%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.

Work and pay

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area has 2,086,210 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $72,610 a year, 42% above the national median ($72,610 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (212,900 jobs, median $59,660); business and financial operations (201,160 jobs, median $101,950); computer and mathematical (194,970 jobs, median $156,000). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (2.8 times) and architecture and engineering (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($168,110) and computer and mathematical ($156,000). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of King County was 4.8%. 74.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in King County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 36.6% drive alone, 11.9% use public transit, 8.1% walk, 34.8% work from home. 13.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 18% below the state average (13.9% against 16.9%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.

People and education

68.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 73% above the state share (68.5% against 39.6%). 20.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 31% above the state share (20.1% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 9.9%, about the same as the state rate (9.9% against 9.9%).

Climate

The warmest month is Aug, averaging 65°F (18.3°C), and the coolest is Dec at 39°F (3.8°C). About 1,230 mm (48 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Nov is the wettest month (188 mm) and Jul the driest (19 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.

Nearby cities to compare

Closest cities in this guide: Mercer Island (7 miles, rent 23% higher); Bainbridge Island (7 miles, rent 8% higher); Kirkland (9 miles, rent 18% higher); Bellevue (9 miles, rent 27% higher). Rent differences are against Seattle; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Seattle →Washington guideAll jobs in Seattle

Official links for Seattle

• Official website of Seattle: seattle.gov
• Census Bureau data profile for Seattle
• Official state website: wa.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: Washington

These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.

Where to live

CITY Official statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Places within 50 miles (straight line) of Seattle, WA that have a guide, with what living there costs. No pay estimate is shown because the title did not match one occupation.

Career paths

We could not match this title to one occupation, so here are the other sub-niches in Engineering, Construction and Energy, where your skills may carry over:

Construction and field engineering (447) Energy and utilities (599)

Distances

CITY Calculation (straight line) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer (coordinates) · Data: 2024

How far Seattle, WA is from the 20 largest US cities, in straight-line miles (not driving distance). Click a column to sort.

Nearby cities with open jobs (within 120 miles)

The employer

Shield AI is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

We do not hold headcount or revenue for this employer. Check its careers site and, if it is listed on a stock exchange, its public filings (SEC EDGAR search).

What it is like to work at a company (culture, schedules, benefits) is not in the source data, so we do not describe it. Read the description and ask the questions under "How to prepare".

Other open jobs at Shield AI

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering

More jobs in Seattle, WA

All Manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs → · All Engineering, Construction and Energy sub-niches →

FAQ

What is the Associate Engineer, Manufacturing job at Shield AI?

A private-sector role in engineering, construction and energy (manufacturing and hardware engineering) listed 35 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Seattle, WA.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on the employer's page" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

Median rent in Seattle is $2,030 a month and median household income $123,860 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-10-05 (35 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs in Washington.

Sources and terms

• Job data: Shield AI careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-10-05). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

AtiveSite is not affiliated with or endorsed by the employer or any government agency, and does not process applications. Verify every detail with the employer before acting.

Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)