---
title: 'Manufacturing Engineer at North Vector Dynamics Inc.'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-eh17jrrp7rtf'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-12'
---

# Manufacturing Engineer at North Vector Dynamics Inc.

- **Company:** North Vector Dynamics Inc.
- **Location:** Calgary, Canada
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-11-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-12
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/northvectordynamics/e5a6ee80-b7af-4f5d-bf54-a5866cf8a935

## Job description

## Who We Are

North Vector Dynamics is a Canadian-owned and controlled defence technology company specializing in precision interception, autonomy, and advanced propulsion. NVD is building a full-spectrum missile capability, from counter-UAS solutions to hypersonics, designed to serve and defend NATO member states and their allies and partners.

## About the Role

North Vector Dynamics is building next-generation defence systems, and the CM70 is moving from prototype builds to a controlled, repeatable production line in a new Calgary manufacturing facility. We’re looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to design and build the tools, fixtures, equipment, and production methods that let us make our platforms faster, cheaper, and the same way every time. Reporting to the Head of Manufacturing directly, you’ll join a small, hands-on team and own the hardware side of how we build: jigs and fixtures, gauging and inspection tooling, additive and machined parts, equipment selection and setup, and the design-for-manufacturability (DFM) loop with our Systems Engineering team. You’ll work closely with our Process Engineer, who owns routings, work instructions, and quality data, so that the process on paper and the tooling on the floor are designed together. Your first big projects will be helping stand up our new manufacturing space, from layout and equipment moves to commissioning and re-validation, and turning prototype build know-how into production-ready tooling as the CM70 design baseline is frozen. This is a ground-floor role for someone who is technically rigorous, happiest with their hands on the hardware, and energized by building from a clean sheet rather than inheriting a mature line. You’ll work side by side with our technicians and design engineers, along with senior leadership, and your work will define how North Vector Dynamics builds hardware as we scale. If you want to build the machines that build platforms which will one day support soldiers in the field, save lives, and serve sovereign national interest - this role was written for you.

## What You’ll Do

Tooling, Fixtures & Equipment

- Design, build, and validate assembly jigs, fixtures, gauges, and inspection tooling for the CM70 and future products, so every technician builds and checks the same way, every time.
- Specify, source, install, and commission production and test equipment, including additive manufacturing systems, machining, automation, wiring harness, and electronics assembly equipment as we bring more work in-house.
- Own our additive manufacturing capability: printer and material selection, print parameters and post-processing, part qualification, and the cost and shelf-life trade-offs that decide what we print versus buy.
- Set up calibration and maintenance plans for the tools and equipment you put on the floor, and keep tooling under identification and revision control.
- Lead tool control and point-of-use storage: tool check-in and check-out, shadow boards, and workstation layouts that support FOD and ESD control. Design for Manufacturing & Production Support
- Partner with Systems Engineering on DFM and design-for-assembly reviews, BOM and CAD scrubs, tolerance stack-ups, and material and process choices, and feed what we learn on the floor back into the design.
- Support the move from prototype to production as the CM70 design is baselined: build readiness, pilot builds, first article inspections, and engineering change cut-ins.
- Be the first line of engineering support on the floor: solve build problems in real time, lead root cause analysis on equipment, tooling, and process failures, and drive corrective actions through to closure.
- Identify the constraints that limit how many units we can build per cycle (method, machine, material, and manpower) and engineer them out through better tooling, automation, and flow.
- Work with Supply Chain on make-versus-buy decisions, supplier technical questions, and qualification of machined, printed, and electronic parts from new and second-source suppliers. New Facility & Continuous Improvement
- Help plan and execute the layout of our new manufacturing space: equipment placement, material flow, utilities, workstation design, and controlled areas for quarantine, calibrated tools, and controlled storage.
- Lead equipment moves, commissioning, and re-validation so production restarts at the new site with minimal downtime.
- Track cycle time, yield, scrap, and equipment uptime, and lead kaizen, 5S, and line-balancing efforts as volumes increase.
- Support our MES and ERP rollouts with tooling, equipment, and station data, and help build processes that meet AS9100 and Controlled Goods Program requirements.
- Step into whatever the mission demands: this is a startup, no two weeks will look the same!

## What You Bring

Required

- A bachelor’s degree (minimum) in manufacturing, mechanical, mechatronics, industrial, or aerospace engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline from an accredited program and institution.
- 3+ years as a manufacturing, tooling, or production engineer in a hardware production environment, with a track record of fixtures, tooling, or equipment you designed and put into service.
- Strong CAD skills (Autodesk Inventor/Fusion, SolidWorks, or similar), working within a PDM environment, with the ability to take a fixture from concept to drawing to finished part.
- Ability to read, interpret, and create engineering drawings with GD&T, and to run tolerance stack-ups and basic engineering calculations.
- Hands-on experience with additive manufacturing (FDM, SLA, SLS, or similar) and with machined part design, including design for the process.
- Experience specifying, installing, and commissioning production equipment, and working with equipment vendors and integrators.
- Working knowledge of structured root cause analysis (8D, 5 Whys, fishbone) and lean manufacturing practices (standard work, 5S, kaizen) applied on a real shop floor.
- Comfort with data: tracking and presenting cycle time, yield, and equipment metrics in Excel, Power BI, or similar tools.
- Comfort working hands-on: building, adjusting, and troubleshooting tools and equipment yourself, not just designing them.
- Eligibility for a Government of Canada security clearance and registration under the Controlled Goods Program; active clearance is a significant asset.
- A builder’s mindset: you take ownership of the system, not just the task, and you’re as comfortable on the floor with a technician as you are in a design review.

## Preferred

- P.Eng. or EIT designation, or eligibility for registration in Alberta or conversion from an eligible province.
- Prior experience in a UAS, aerospace, munitions, or defence manufacturing environment operating under AS9100 or a similar quality management system.
- Experience with industrial additive manufacturing systems and engineering materials, including part qualification for end-use parts.
- An electromechanical assembly background: wiring harnesses, PCB handling and ESD control, torque control, adhesives, or composites.
- Experience with automation, PLCs, or robotics, and with designing semi-automated assembly or test stations.
- Exposure to SMT/PCBA processes, or to energetics or explosives-safe manufacturing practices.
- Familiarity with first article inspection (AS9102), PFMEA, control plans, and measurement system analysis.
- Experience launching a new production line or facility, or ramping volume in a startup or scale-up.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher.

## Why North Vector Dynamics

- Real ownership from day one: the systems and processes you help build will be foundational to how this company operates for years to come.
- We’re working on technology that matters at a national and global level, and every person on the team feels that weight and that purpose.
- A tight-knit, high-caliber team that moves fast, holds each other to a high standard, and doesn’t waste time on bureaucracy for its own sake.
- Competitive compensation and meaningful upside from joining an early-stage company at the forefront of the defence technology sector.
- On-site in Calgary, AB, a growing hub for tech and defence, with a culture built around resilience and getting things done.

## About North Vector Dynamics Inc.

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: North Vector Dynamics is a Canadian defense and autonomy technology company building precision autonomous systems and counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) weapons for the future battlefield.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- **Founded**: 2022 (originally as Think Solutions Engineering; rebranded to North Vector Dynamics in 2025)
- **Founders**: Paul Ziadé (Co-founder & CEO), Dr. Craig Johansen (Co-founder & Chief Science Officer), and a third co-founder (aerospace engineers specializing in hypersonics, rocket propulsion, and high-speed aerodynamics)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Defense technology, aerospace, counter-UAS systems, hypersonics, autonomous systems
- **Target customers**: Canadian Department of National Defence (DND), allied military forces, NATO partners
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "On the battlefield, survival isn’t a feature – it’s the requirement." The company is building Canada's first full-spectrum air and missile defence company, focused on sovereign capability for Canada and its allies.

## Products & Services
- **CM-70**: A low-cost, highly-maneuverable, attritable mass, precision-guided missile designed to neutralize Group I-III drone threats. It measures 0.72m in length, weighs ~2 kg, has a range of 3.5 km, and a speed of over 1,000 km/h. Features semi-active laser homing (SALH) guidance supported by AI and a blast fragmentation warhead.
- **SHIELD**: An expeditionary counter-UAS system that uses the Arctos sensor and launch node. It can loiter for hours and deploy air-launched CUAS effects.
- **CI-60**: A next-generation expendable UAV available in two configurations: a threat simulation system (subscale aerial target for air defense training) and a CUAS vehicle designed to neutralize hostile drones with speed and agility.
- **SPIKE**: A subscale aerial target system for use by land, naval, and air forces, providing realistic, threat-representative targets for air defense qualification and live-fire training.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Backed by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and venture capital firms
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Canadian Department of National Defence (DND), venture capital firms (specific names not publicly disclosed)
- **Growth Signals**: Rebranded from Think Solutions Engineering in 2025 to go all-in on air-defense development; shifting focus to the CM-70 C-UAS missile to meet growing demand; building Canada's first full-spectrum air and missile defence company; backed by DND for hypersonic and advanced interception work

## Competitive Advantages
- **Sovereign capability**: Building a Canadian-controlled technical base for counter-UAS and hypersonic interception, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains
- **Deep technical expertise**: Founders and team trained at top institutions (Waterloo, Oxford, Calgary) and organizations (NASA, Atomic Energy of Canada, national aerospace labs)
- **First-of-its-kind systems**: SHIELD is described as a first-of-its-kind expeditionary counter-UAS system
- **Attritable mass approach**: The CM-70 is a low-cost, precision-guided missile designed to invert the battlefield economics of drone warfare
- **Full-spectrum ambition**: Building toward hypersonic interception capability, positioning as Canada's first full-spectrum air and missile defence company

## Strategic Focus
- **Near-term**: Low-cost, precision-guided missile system (CM-70) for intercepting Group I-III drones and providing short-range force protection
- **Long-term**: Hypersonic interception capability for North American air defence and allied partners
- **Sovereign capability**: Building a Canadian-controlled technical base for defense technologies to reduce reliance on fragile supply chains
- **Product expansion**: Shifting focus to the CM-70 C-UAS missile to meet growing demand for counter-UAS interceptors

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Directly contributing to national defense and sovereignty for Canada and its allies
- **Deep tech focus**: Work on cutting-edge technologies including hypersonics, autonomous drone guidance, AI-driven flow control, and rocket propulsion
- **Elite team**: Colleagues include engineers and applied scientists from institutions like Waterloo, Oxford, and Calgary, with experience at NASA, Atomic Energy of Canada, and national aerospace research labs
- **Growth stage**: Recently rebranded and "all in" on air-defense development — a high-growth, high-impact environment
- **Remote-friendly**: Listed as having remote options across 27 locations, with an in-office presence in Calgary
- **Small, agile team**: Approximately 9-12 total employees, offering significant ownership and impact
- **Government backing**: Supported by Canada's Department of National Defence, providing stability and strategic importance

## Sources
1. [northvectordynamics.com](https://www.northvectordynamics.com/)
2. [northvectordynamics.com/about-us](https://www.northvectordynamics.com/about-us)
3. [northvectordynamics.com/advanced-systems](https://www.northvectordynamics.com/advanced-systems)
4. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/north-vector-dynamics)
5. [janes.com](https://www.janes.com/defence-intelligence-insights/defence-news/industry/north-vector-dynamics-aims-to-bring-missile-production-to-canada)

## Other roles at North Vector Dynamics Inc.

- [Program Manager, Manufacturing & NPI](https://feeny.ai/job/program-manager-manufacturing-npi-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-5epanzbsjbft) — Calgary, Canada
- [Lead Process and Quality Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-process-and-quality-engineer-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-s6gs86xhmdfx) — Calgary, Canada
- [UAS Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/uas-technician-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-3trhpg9kexe0) — Calgary, Canada
- [Head of Product](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-product-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-v5szghq5q2hb) — Calgary, Canada
- [Information Technology Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/information-technology-manager-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-0jt95g63409r) — Calgary, Canada
- [Mission Software Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/mission-software-lead-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-d7q83aez2bt9) — Calgary, Canada
- [Embedded Linux Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-linux-engineer-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-78vxnpyb8fh3) — Calgary, Canada
- [Project Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/project-manager-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-eqpdzcabrfvj) — Calgary, Canada
- [Future Opportunities](https://feeny.ai/job/future-opportunities-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-sjphgbkg4ryx) — Calgary, Canada
- [Postdoc Hypersonics](https://feeny.ai/job/postdoc-hypersonics-north-vector-dynamics-inc-calgary-5cvygr5w3qwm) — Calgary, Canada