---
title: 'Manufacturing Engineer (New Grad Summer 2027) at Freeform'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-new-grad-summer-2027-freeform-los-angeles-k0jdheqkmmvc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-17'
---

# Manufacturing Engineer (New Grad Summer 2027) at Freeform

- **Company:** Freeform
- **Location:** Los Angeles, CA
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/freeformfuturecorp/jobs/7895758003

## Job description

## MANUFACTURING ENGINEER (NEW GRAD SUMMER 2027)

Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.

As a Manufacturing Engineer at Freeform, you’ll be at the forefront of scaling production for high-performance metal 3D printed parts. You’ll work with a talented engineering team from some of the world’s most innovative companies across a range of projects to develop and refine the processes, tooling, and CNC machining workflows that enable precision manufacturing at speed and scale. This role is hands-on and fast-paced, ideal for someone eager to learn and contribute to the development of our autonomous metal 3D printing factories. You’ll focus on optimizing post-processing and machining operations, helping to bridge the gap between R&D and production.

3D printing experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, collaborative individuals who love solving hard problems and creating amazing technology!

Responsibilities:

- Work closely with engineers to design and implement scalable manufacturing processes for new hardware and printed parts
- Support part flow through the factory by improving fixturing, test procedures, and post-processing steps
- Develop lightweight documentation and process standards to support scaling production without slowing engineering iteration
- Build and iterate on tooling, jigs, and test setups to support reliable, high-throughput production
- Help identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in how parts, materials, and data move through the factory, and work with cross-functional teams to improve them
- Support early production of high-performance printed parts, helping bridge the gap between R&D and high-rate manufacturing
- Contribute to CNC machining workflows, including programming, setup, and optimization of multi-axis operations for post-processing of printed parts

Basic Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering from an ABET-accredited university or college
- Hands on manufacturing or build experience from internships or engineering clubs such as FSAE, Baja SAE, solar car, rocket club, robotics club, or similar
- Experience working with hand tools, machinery, or complex hardware assembly

Nice to Have:

- Advanced degree (Master's, PhD) in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering
- Experience with CNC machining, including 3 or 5-axis programming and/or setup
- Experience with metal additive manufacturing or precision post-processing
- Exposure to fixturing, DFM, or process validation
- Experience scaling early-stage R&D into production
- Familiarity with MRP/ERP tools and lightweight production tracking systems
- Familiarity with manufacturing process development in a fast-paced hardware environment
- Ability to translate high-level engineering goals into practical factory processes
- Comfortable working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and iterating quickly (comfortable building the plane as we fly it)
- Strong communicator who collaborates across disciplines and proactively seeks support when needed
- Willing to take ownership of tasks big and small, with a hands-on, problem-solving mindset
- Strong work ethic with a refuse-to-fail mindset
- Demonstrated indicators of excellence and/or achieving success against adversity (i.e. top academic performance, leadership in engineering clubs, first-generation college student, or other examples of resilience and achievement)

Location:

- Based in Hawthorne, our vertically integrated facility brings technology development, R&D, and production together under one roof. We operate at the center of LA’s deep tech ecosystem, surrounded by some of the most ambitious hardware innovation happening anywhere in the country.
- Our fast-paced, cross-functional environment is built on close collaboration, and as such, this role requires full-time onsite presence (five days a week), with very limited exceptions.

What We Offer:

- We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data-driven decisions.
- We offer a unique opportunity to be an early and integral member of a rapidly growing company that is scaling a world-changing technology.
- Benefits
- Significant stock option packages
- 100% employer-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance (premium PPO and HMO options)
- Life insurance
- Traditional and Roth 401(k)
- Relocation assistance provided
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays
- Generous Paid Parental Leave and extended transition back to work for the birthing parent
- Free daily catered lunch and dinner, and fully stocked kitchenette
- Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team building events
- Compensation
- Our intent is to offer a salary that is commensurate for the company’s current stage of development and allows the employee to grow and develop within a role.
- In addition to the significant stock option package, the estimated salary range for this role is $95,000-$110,000, dependent on the candidate's academic level (Bachelors, Masters, or PhD) and demonstrated out of classroom experience.
- Freeform is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity; employment with Freeform is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

## About Freeform

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Freeform builds the world’s first AI-native manufacturing system – autonomous factories that use advanced sensing, compute, and machine learning to 3D-print industrial-grade metal parts at unprecedented speed and scale.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B, raised $67M in Feb 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Hawthorne, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Erik Palitsch (CEO), Thomas J. Ronacher (President & Co-Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Industrial Automation, Additive Manufacturing (Metal 3D Printing), Physical AI
- **Target customers**: B2B, primarily serving mission-critical industries: Aerospace & Defense, Aviation, Automotive, Advanced Energy, Consumer Electronics, Robotics, and Motor Sports.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “To radically change the way things are made” and “unlock advanced manufacturing for every industry” by treating manufacturing as a single, integrated AI-native system.

## Products & Services
For each major offering:
- **AI-Native Manufacturing System**: A fully integrated, software-defined network of autonomous factories. This system uses proprietary compute, sensors, controls, and ML to sense, learn, predict, and control metal formation in real-time. It unifies hardware and software to produce industrial-scale parts from prototype to full production, all under one roof.
- **Physical AI Stack**: The company built its own technology stack (compute, sensors, controls, software) to enable a new method of metal 3D printing that is faster, more predictable, and cost-effective than traditional methods.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue: $4.5M (LinkedIn estimate); Total Funding: $126M
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: NVIDIA (NVentures), AE Industrial Ventures (AE Ventures), Two Sigma Ventures, Founders Fund, Threshold Ventures, 8VC, Linse Capital, Valor.
- **Growth Signals**:
    - Raised $67M Series B in February 2026 to scale up laser AI manufacturing.
    - Named to Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026.”
    - 48 active job postings as of mid-2026, with year-over-year hiring growth of +81.5%.
    - Headcount growth of 9.4% year-over-year (approximately 50 employees).
    - Key hires from SpaceX, Tesla, Apple, Google, Velo3D.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-principles technology**: The company built all technology from scratch (compute, sensors, controls, ML stack) because the necessary tech didn't exist. This creates a deep technical moat.
- **AI-native, not AI-applied**: Their system is designed from the ground up to be autonomous, learning, and predictive, unlike traditional manufacturing methods that apply AI as an afterthought.
- **Proven leadership**: Founded and led by ex-SpaceX engineers (Erik Palitsch was Principal Architect of the Starship Vehicle and led the Merlin & Raptor engine programs) and a Chief Scientific Officer with deep experience in additive manufacturing (Tasso Lappas, former CTO at Velo3D).
- **Speed and scale**: Promises the ability to go from prototype to full-scale production faster than any competitor, enabling a "death of slow speeds and unpredictable systems."

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale up operations**: The primary focus of the $67M Series B is to scale the technology and expand production capacity.
- **Industry expansion**: Targeting a wide range of industries including aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, and consumer electronics.
- **Talent acquisition**: Aggressively hiring top-tier cross-disciplinary talent (MechE, Electrical, Software, ML/AI, Process, and Engineering leadership) to build out the team.
- **Product innovation**: Continuing to push the boundaries of speed, quality, and scale in metal additive manufacturing.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as a team of "first-principles thinkers" with "low ego" and a "healthy sense of humor." The company emphasizes working on "hard problems" and is driven by a mission to fundamentally change manufacturing.
- **Working policy**: Fully on-site in Los Angeles, CA (Hawthorne). This is a shop-floor and lab-heavy environment, ideal for those who want to be hands-on with hardware.
- **Compensation & Equity**: Offers competitive compensation and pre-IPO shares, meaning all employees are shareholders in the company’s success.
- **Notable Perks & Engineering Culture**: Opportunity to work with some of the most advanced manufacturing technology in the world (lasers, robotics, ML). The environment is described as high-trust, high-impact, and cross-disciplinary. The company encourages applications even if there is no exact role listed, signaling a flexible and growth-oriented culture.
- **Talent density**: The team includes top talent from SpaceX, Apple, Google, Tesla, Velo3D, and other leading tech and manufacturing companies.

## Sources
1. [freeform.co](https://freeform.co/)
2. [Freeform Careers](https://freeform.co/careers)
3. [Freeform Company Page](https://freeform.co/company)
4. [Freeform Greenhouse Job Board](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/freeformfuturecorp)
5. [LinkedIn - Freeform](https://www.linkedin.com/company/freeformfuture)
6. [TechCrunch - $67M Series B](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/19/freeform-raises-67m-series-b-to-scale-up-laser-ai-manufacturing/)
7. [TechCrunch - $14M Venture Round](https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/22/ex-spacex-engineers-land-14m-to-scale-new-method-for-3d-printing-metal/)

## Other roles at Freeform

- [Head of Turbomachinery Technology](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-turbomachinery-technology-freeform-los-angeles-653e2cds2gwa) — Los Angeles, CA
- [FPGA Engineer (New Grad Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/fpga-engineer-new-grad-summer-2027-freeform-los-angeles-50qdjgef58je) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Additive Engineering Intern (Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/additive-engineering-intern-spring-2027-freeform-los-angeles-qhg5v84pg57p) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Manufacturing Engineering Intern (Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineering-intern-spring-2027-freeform-los-angeles-r43mfa3jsbq7) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Process Engineering Intern (Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/process-engineering-intern-spring-2027-freeform-los-angeles-sc6esmgan641) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Manufacturing Engineering Intern, CNC Machining (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineering-intern-cnc-machining-summer-2027-freeform-los-angeles-pzthb7edgjb2) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Materials Lab, General Helper (1st Shift)](https://feeny.ai/job/materials-lab-general-helper-1st-shift-freeform-los-angeles-faga6tyj404t) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Manufacturing Engineer, CNC Machining (New Grad Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-cnc-machining-new-grad-summer-2027-freeform-los-angeles-8psr93z57c32) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Manufacturing Engineer, CNC Machining (New Grad December 2026)](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-cnc-machining-new-grad-december-2026-freeform-los-angeles-h7mgdj17njag) — Los Angeles, CA
- [CMM Programmer](https://feeny.ai/job/cmm-programmer-freeform-los-angeles-htjzr7nw8ak6) — Los Angeles, CA