---
title: 'Manager, Manufacturing Engineering at Apptronik'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manager-manufacturing-engineering-apptronik-austin-tg0vb1xzd1ev'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-13'
---

# Manager, Manufacturing Engineering at Apptronik

- **Company:** Apptronik
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-10-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/apptronik/jobs/6220342004?gh_jid=6220342004

## Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

The Manager, Manufacturing Engineering will play a key leadership role in scaling complex hardware from early engineering builds into repeatable production. You will build and lead the Manufacturing Engineering team, shape how products are industrialized, and partner closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to turn ambitious designs into robust manufacturing systems.

This role owns the technical foundation of production—including process development, tooling, manufacturing definition, production readiness, and yield improvement. You will have the opportunity to influence product design early, establish the manufacturing standards and systems required for scale, and directly impact quality, cost, throughput, and the company’s ability to ramp new products successfully.

## Key Accountabilities

- Team Leadership: Build and develop the Manufacturing Engineering team, establish priorities and ownership, and ensure effective technical support from prototype through production.
- Industrialization & NPI: Lead Manufacturing Engineering engagement during early builds, translating design and build learnings into scalable processes, tooling, documentation, and production readiness.
- Manufacturing Definition & Systems: Own MBOMs, Bills of Process, operation sequencing, and Work Instruction standards. Ensure EBOM-to-MBOM alignment and successful integration with PLM, ERP, and MES systems.
- Process, Tooling & DFM: Own manufacturing process development, tooling and fixture strategy, DFM/DFA, PFMEA, and process validation to ensure products are ready for repeatable production.
- Yield & Manufacturing Performance: Own improvement of first-pass yield, defects, rework, cycle time, and process capability. Drive cross-functional root-cause investigations and corrective actions for systemic manufacturing issues.
- Production Readiness & Scale: Own Manufacturing Engineering readiness for pilot builds, production ramp, change implementation, and Contract Manufacturer technical transfer. Escalate risks that threaten quality, schedule, or production readiness.

## Skills & Requirements

- Strong background in complex hardware manufacturing, NPI, process development, tooling, and production industrialization.
- Experience with MBOMs, BOPs, PLM, ERP, MES, and engineering change management.
- Strong knowledge of DFM/DFA, PFMEA, SPC, DOE, process validation, and root-cause analysis.
- Proven ability to lead technical teams and drive cross-functional accountability.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to navigate conflict, deliver difficult feedback, and build trust across teams.
- Experience prioritizing work, delegating effectively, and balancing team capacity with business needs
- Experience with high degree-of-freedom electromechanical assemblies, robotics, precision mechanisms, or actuation systems is a plus.
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 7+ years of Manufacturing Engineering experience, including 2+ years of technical or people leadership.

## PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

- Periods of sitting at a workstation and working on a computer
- Ability to safely lift and/or move approximately 15 pounds at times.
- Ability to move throughout operational areas and maintain awareness of surrounding people, equipment, and robotic systems.
- Visual ability necessary to operate equipment, monitor robotic systems, and read printed and digital material
- Ability to communicate effectively with team members during normal operations and when responding to safety or operational concern
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally, averaging 15% per year

*This is a direct hire.  Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

## About Apptronik

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Apptronik builds advanced humanoid robots for real-world industrial applications, starting with manufacturing and warehousing, to address labor shortages and improve human productivity.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Funding Stage: Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Founded as a spinout from the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin; leadership includes CEO Jeff Cardenas and CTO Nicholas Paine

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Robot Manufacturing, Humanoid Robotics, Industrial Automation, Artificial Intelligence
- Target customers: B2B / Enterprise — manufacturing facilities, warehousing and logistics operators, supply chain organizations
- Mission or purpose statement: “It is not Man vs. Machine, but Man + Machine” — building robots that empower humans to live to their fullest potential by solving labor shortages and reducing physical strain.

## Products & Services
- **[Apollo Humanoid Robot Platform]**: A full-electric, bipedal humanoid robot designed for industrial use. Combines advanced hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software. Current applications include material handling, line-side tasks, palletizing, case picking, trailer unloading, and inspection. Built as a scalable platform that can extend into healthcare, eldercare, and home environments over time. (Type: Hardware + SaaS Platform)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Annual Revenue**: ~$3.5 million (estimated)
- **Total Funding**: ~$963.8 million (includes a Seed Round of $14.6M in 2022, a Corporate Round in 2025, and an undisclosed Series A round; notable investors include Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Google)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Google, Terex, Humanoid Global
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 98.1% year-over-year to 334 employees (2026 data). Named to the **2026 CNBC Disruptor 50** list. Recognized on the **Best Places to Work** list (2024, 2025). Won the **2025 IEEE Robotics & Automation Product Innovation Award**. Named **Most Innovative** (2025). Active job postings increased 238.5% year-over-year (88 open roles). Acquired Elevate Robotics Inc.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep heritage**: Spun out of UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab; team dates back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (2015) and includes ex-NASA collaborators.
- **Full-stack vertical integration**: Covers hardware, embodied AI, and fleet-level management software — a complete, scalable platform rather than a one-off robot.
- **Safe, human-centric design**: Built for human environments from the ground up, with a focus on reducing physical strain and complementing human workers, not replacing them.
- **Early enterprise traction**: Active partnerships with major industrial players like Mercedes-Benz and Terex, proving real-world deployment over lab demos.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling Apollo for manufacturing and warehouse deployment (current core market).
- Expanding into more complex environments: construction, healthcare, eldercare, and the home.
- Continuous hardware and software upgrades (CEO Jeff Cardenas calls humanoid robotics “the space race of our time” and has signaled major upgrades to Apollo).
- Building out fleet-level tools for multi-robot management and learning.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Work on the frontier of humanoid robotics with a stated ethos of “Man + Machine” — robots that improve human quality of life.
- **High-growth environment**: Doubled headcount year-over-year with massive funding and expanding job postings; strong career growth potential.
- **Culture values**: Passion, creativity, collaboration, integrity, curiosity, and humility are explicitly stated as core values.
- **Perks & Benefits**:
  - Flexible PTO (open, unlimited)
  - 401k retirement plan
  - Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
  - Parental leave
  - Flexible work hours
  - Collaborative and innovative work environment
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Not explicitly stated; 77% of workforce is in the United States (majority in Austin HQ). Specific roles may vary, but the company promotes a collaborative environment.
- **Talent sources**: Attracts talent from top robotics and tech companies — SpaceX, Tesla, Fox Robotics, Agility Robotics, Apple, iRobot, Neocis, and top universities (UT Austin).
- **Employee rating**: 3.9/5.0 on employer reviews (Work-Life: 3.5, Career: 3.7).

## Sources
1. [apptronik.com](https://apptronik.com/) — Company homepage
2. [apptronik.com/about-us](https://apptronik.com/about-us) — About Us / History / Mission
3. [apptronik.com/careers](https://apptronik.com/careers?gh_src=B+Capital+job+board) — Careers page / Perks & Culture
4. [apptronik.com/careers/job-listings](https://apptronik.com/careers/job-listings) — Open job listings
5. [linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.](https://www.linkedin.com/company/apptronik-inc.) — LinkedIn company profile (revenue, headcount, funding, employee breakdown)

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