Airframe Assembly Manufacturing Engineer
Joby Aviation · Marina, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $87k–$125k
- Experience asked
- 1+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Joby Aviation (aerospace & defense) in Marina, CA. You will play a key role in the scale-up of Joby's high-volume aircraft production line.
- They ask for
- 1+ years
- Tools it names
- Lean, FMEA, GD&T, Robotics, Time studies, Tooling
- Base pay
- $87k–$125k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $111k–$173k. This one lists $87k–$125k.
Median of the low and high ends of 165 live postings that list pay, out of 443 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 442 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 21% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (1+ vs 5+)
Typical $109k–$159k, from 143 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 50%
- ✓ New product launch 45%
- Root cause 37%
- Automation 34%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 26%
- Machining 26%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Time studies, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Joby Aviation
We found 3 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Ife → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Joby Aviation in Marina
10 other open roles at this site · 3 people we found in manufacturing roles at Joby Aviation.
- Final Integration Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Senior Composite Materials & Process Engineer · Process · Senior
- Quality Engineering Technician, Dimensional (2nd Shift) · Quality
- Head of Maintenance · Reliability · Director+
- Head of Quality · Quality · Director+
- Aircraft Integration Assembly Technician · Manufacturing · Technician
Full description from Joby AviationAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Make key contributions to the development of Joby's high-output production system to produce aircraft at rates that have not yet been achieved in the aerospace industry
- ◆Seek out and implement new manufacturing technologies and methods capable of dramatically accelerating assembly production rates
- ◆Collaborate with the tooling team to develop efficient and effective assembly tools oriented toward high-volume production
- ◆Collaborate with Joby's partners at Toyota to develop highly effective production tools and systems
- ◆Work closely with the Design and Stress teams to ensure that manufacturability guides all facets of the airframe design
- ◆Author clear, explicit, and easy-to-follow manufacturing work instructions
- ◆Work closely with the production team on the shop floor to quickly address issues and resolve technical challenges
- ◆Develop and implement factory layouts for future airframe production facilities
- ◆Work with the Quality Engineering team to conduct First Article Inspections (FAI), assembly fixture qualifications, and PFMEAs
- ◆Lead development projects with multidisciplinary teams, including Design, Stress, M&P, Quality, Tooling, Production, and Purchasing
- ◆Define assembly sequences and workflows for large and small airframe assemblies
- ◆Own the implementation of assembly tools and equipment, from concept development to final acceptance testing
- ◆Lead first-time builds and provide ongoing support during factory bring-up
- ◆Manage schedules for initial builds, identify schedule risks, and relentlessly seek opportunities to reduce timelines
- ◆Identify company-wide improvement opportunities, specifically those related to composite manufacturing and assembly operations
Required
- ✓B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a similar field with 1+ years of relevant work experience
- ✓Experience with mechanical design, as well as fixture and assembly tooling design
- ✓Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- ✓Strong project management experience
- ✓Experience conducting PFMEAs and writing manufacturing work instructions
- ✓Ability to interpret mechanical drawings of piece-parts and assemblies, including GD&T
- ✓Proven ability to provide impactful technical feedback on new designs to improve manufacturability (DFM)
- ✓Experience in prototype and production manufacturing
- ✓Proficiency in CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar CAD software
- ✓Excellent problem-solving and teamwork skills while working with cross-functional teams
- ✓Ability to work in a fast-paced engineering environment and quickly adapt to changing inputs, requirements, and direction
- ✓Hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Company Overview
Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.
Overview
As a Manufacturing Engineer on the airframe assembly team, you will play a key role in the scale-up of Joby's high-volume aircraft production line. You will help the Joby team develop and implement the processes, tools, and ideas required to scale from several aircraft per year to hundreds of aircraft per year. This role will require you to not only develop tools and processes but also contribute to the overall vision of a flying rideshare service by thinking beyond the confines of the traditional aerospace industry and reimagining the possibilities of aviation.
Desired
- +Strong experience with composite manufacturing (lamination, bonding, drilling, and fastening)
- +Experience with automated or robotic manufacturing systems
- +Familiarity with aerospace manufacturing, processing, and materials
- +Experience developing factory layouts and workstations
- +Experience with Lean manufacturing methods and time study analysis
Additional Information