---
title: 'Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Path Robotics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manufacturing-engineer-path-robotics-columbus-s0n4539f949b'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-21'
---

# Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Path Robotics

- **Company:** Path Robotics
- **Location:** Columbus, OH
- **Posted:** 2026-10-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-21
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/pathrobotics/jobs/8902283002?gh_jid=8902283002

## Job description

Build the Path Forward

At Path Robotics, we’re attacking a trillion dollar opportunity - doing things that have never been done before to support an industry hurting from a lack of skilled labor. Big, hard problems are what Path tackles every day and our people are our greatest asset to get that job done. Our intelligent, hardworking team of people do the impossible every single day, yet remain incredibly kind, humble, and always ready to support one another.

We're looking for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to shape how we build our robotic welding cells as we scale. You'll lead lean and continuous improvement work across our build floor, and you'll play a central role in planning the production layout for the new facilities we're moving into over the next few years. This role reports to the Director of Manufacturing Operations.

## What You’ll Do

- Lead production layout planning for our new buildings, from initial concept through move-in, including process flow, material flow, workstation design, storage strategy, utilities, equipment placement and traffic patterns for both material and people
- Partner with supply chain and build leadership to develop layouts that support today's volume and planned growth
- Plan and manage the transition of production into new space with minimal disruption to build schedules
- Design intra-factory material flow from receiving and storage through kitting, line-side delivery, WIP movement and shipment of finished cells, so flow is built into the new buildings from the start rather than added later
- Map current-state and future-state value streams across build, kitting and test, and use the data, along with simulation where it helps, to drive prioritized improvements on the floor
- Lead continuous improvement events (kaizen, 5S, standard work) that reduce lead time, WIP, rework and cost; push changes to the floor quickly, measure the impact and iterate
- Build takt time, line balancing and capacity models to size workstations, staffing and floor space
- Identify and resolve flow imbalances caused by inventory processes, layouts, part shortages or staffing constraints, and drive fixes with Supply Chain, Quality and design engineering
- Develop standard work, work instructions and visual management with technicians and supervisors on the floor
- Design fixtures, tooling and material presentation (kanban, point-of-use storage) that improve flow and ergonomics
- Define and track KPIs such as cycle time, throughput, first-pass yield, on-time delivery, line-side material availability, inventory accuracy, WIP dwell time and material-driven downtime, and report progress to operations leadership
- Work with ERP and inventory system owners to keep material movement data accurate and visible in real time
- Work with design engineering on design for manufacturability and assembly as new products and configurations are released to the floor
- Coach engineers and technicians in lean tools and structured problem solving (A3, root cause analysis, PDCA)

## Who You Are

- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Industrial or Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
- 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in a production environment, ideally low-volume, high-mix assembly of complex electromechanical equipment, machinery or automation systems
- Proven experience leading production facility layout projects, such as a new building, plant expansion or line relocation, from concept through move-in
- Strong understanding of factory design, line layout and intra-factory logistics for hardware manufacturing, including fabricated structures, electromechanical assemblies, wiring and controls
- Experience supporting new products from introduction through production ramp
- Hands-on lean manufacturing practitioner with measurable results from value stream mapping, kaizen, 5S, standard work and pull systems
- Track record of building a continuous improvement culture on the floor, not just running projects
- Proficient in CAD for layout work (AutoCAD and/or SolidWorks) and comfortable reading engineering drawings; experience with plant layout or flow simulation tools is a plus
- Comfortable with data: time studies, capacity models and line balancing analysis in Excel or similar tools
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred
- Experience with robotics, welding or industrial automation is a plus
- Clear communicator who can lead cross-functional projects and earn buy-in from technicians through senior leadership
- Self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity and limited resources in a fast-growing company
- Must be local to Columbus, Ohio or willing to relocate

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

- Work is performed on-site at our Columbus, Ohio facility, split between the office and the production floor
- Regular time on the manufacturing floor, including standing and walking for extended periods
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally
- Exposure to typical manufacturing conditions, including noise, welding operations and moving equipment; PPE is required in designated areas
- Occasional travel to new building sites, suppliers and equipment vendors (estimated under 10%)

## Who We Are

At Path Robotics we love coming to work to solve interesting and tough challenges but also because our ideas are welcomed and valued. We encourage unique thinking and are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

This position may support work performed under U.S. Government contracts and requires compliance with applicable federal regulations, including FAR and DFARS where applicable.

The role may involve access to export-controlled information subject to ITAR and/or EAR.

Candidates must be able to comply with U.S. export control regulations, which may include meeting the definition of a “U.S. Person” where required.

This position may also involve handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and requires adherence to company and federal data protection and confidentiality standards. Employment may be contingent upon successful completion of a background check consistent with applicable requirements

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or any part of the hiring process, please contact HR@path-robotics.com. We are committed to providing equal access and will work with qualified individuals to ensure a fair and accessible hiring experience. We will respond to your request within 48 hours.

## About Path Robotics

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Path Robotics builds physical AI systems that enable autonomous robotic welding for heavy industries, addressing the critical skilled labor shortage in manufacturing.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D, $271M total funding)
- **Headquarters**: Columbus, Ohio, United States
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Andy Lonsberry (CEO) and Alex Lonsberry (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Industrial robotics, AI-powered manufacturing automation, heavy fabrication
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise — specifically heavy industry, defense, utility & energy, data center construction, and general manufacturing
- **Mission**: Create real value for customers while rebuilding the backbone of American industry by helping manufacturers navigate the skilled labor shortage.

## Products & Services
- **Intelligent Welding Cells**: Fixed robotic cells that use AI and computer vision to see, understand, and adapt to part variations in real-time, enabling autonomous welding without precision fixturing.
- **Obsidian™ AI**: A foundational AI model for welding, trained on tens of millions of welded inches, enabling real-time adaptation for high-quality welds across part-to-part variations.
- **JobBuilder**: A web-based software application launched at FABTECH 2024 that simplifies part programming, reducing the setup bottleneck and expanding the addressable market to fabricators without specialized robotics staff.
- **Path Foundry (RaaS)**: A Robotics-as-a-Service model where Path owns and operates the welding cells, charging customers for welding capacity with $0 CapEx, targeting a 30% lower cost and 4x productivity improvement.
- **Rove**: A mobile welding system mounted on a quadruped platform (announced April 2026), extending adaptive welding capabilities beyond fixed-cell applications.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: $271M total funding raised (Series D, last raised ~2 years ago)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly named in available sources; the company has a Board of Directors and leadership team including a Chief Revenue Officer (Heather Carroll) and EVP of Global Operations (Mike Renn).
- **Growth Signals**: 198 employees as of March 2026; launched Path Foundry RaaS model in October 2024; launched JobBuilder at FABTECH 2024; announced Rove mobile welding system in April 2026; serves 4 key industries (Defense, Data Centers, Utility & Energy, Heavy Industry); addresses a forecasted 600k welder shortage by 2030.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Perception-driven fit-up**: The core differentiator is the ability to recognize part geometry, compensate for dimensional variation, and execute a weld without precision fixturing — a capability traditional robotic welding lacks, which requires tight part consistency.
- **Obsidian™ foundational AI model**: A purpose-built, first-of-its-kind AI model for welding trained on tens of millions of welded inches, enabling continuous learning and real-time adaptation.
- **RaaS model (Path Foundry)**: Eliminates upfront CapEx for customers, lowering adoption barriers for mid-market fabricators who cannot justify six- or seven-figure capital commitments.
- **End-to-end autonomy**: The system handles pick, fit-up, and weld in a single automated flow, with 24/7 mission control support, targeting 4x productivity improvement.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling the RaaS model**: Path Foundry is the primary go-to-market strategy, requiring the company to manage fleet maintenance, logistics, service-level guarantees, and asset utilization across a distributed installed base.
- **Expanding addressable geometry**: The Rove mobile platform announcement signals a push beyond fixed-cell applications into more varied and mobile welding environments.
- **Defense and critical infrastructure**: The company is actively targeting defense (shipyards, arsenals), data center construction, and utility/energy sectors as key growth verticals.
- **Reducing programming friction**: JobBuilder aims to lower the barrier to adoption for fabricators without specialized robotics staff, expanding the total addressable market.

## Why Work Here
- **Impactful mission**: The company directly addresses a critical national problem — a forecasted 600,000 welder shortage by 2030 — by building technology that keeps American manufacturing competitive.
- **Cutting-edge technology**: Work at the intersection of AI, machine learning, computer vision, and robotics, building a foundational AI model (Obsidian) trained on tens of millions of welded inches.
- **Collaborative culture**: The company emphasizes "People + Robots Together" and states that "Our people are our competitive advantage," with a focus on creating real customer value.
- **Growth trajectory**: With $271M in funding, 198 employees, and a pivot to a RaaS model, the company is in a high-growth phase with significant runway.
- **Leadership**: Founded and led by brothers Andy Lonsberry (CEO) and Alex Lonsberry (CTO), who have scaled the company from a university basement to a leading physical-AI company.
- **Work environment**: Based in Columbus, Ohio, with a focus on collaborative, passionate teams working on cutting-edge machine learning and impactful real-world problems. The careers page highlights "Impactful," "Collaborative," "AI-Powered," and "Cutting-edge machine learning" as core themes.

## Sources
1. [path-robotics.com](https://www.path-robotics.com/)
2. [path-robotics.com/careers](https://www.path-robotics.com/careers)
3. [path-robotics.com/about](https://www.path-robotics.com/about)
4. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/path-robotics)
5. [robotics.press](https://robotics.press/news/path-robotics-company-profile/)

## Other roles at Path Robotics

- [Sales Development Representative](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-development-representative-path-robotics-columbus-kpqp0agjb2wg) — Columbus, OH
- [Enterprise Account Executive, Commercial & Defense](https://feeny.ai/job/enterprise-account-executive-commercial-defense-path-robotics-remote-weyjmd6bmbp5)
- [Account Executive, Northeast Territory](https://feeny.ai/job/account-executive-northeast-territory-path-robotics-remote-s1y743b956ce)
- [Facilities Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/facilities-associate-path-robotics-columbus-b7h92c48mkta) — Columbus, OH
- [Manufacturing Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-associate-path-robotics-columbus-sbagzkcxkbst) — Columbus, OH
- [Deployment Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/deployment-program-manager-path-robotics-columbus-8fs9sp6hknrt) — Columbus, OH
- [Engineering Manager, Tier 2 Support](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-manager-tier-2-support-path-robotics-columbus-ftya8715dac1) — Columbus, OH
- [Software Engineer, Fleet Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-fleet-engineering-path-robotics-columbus-w4wvwdvnzyrz) — Columbus, OH
- [Data Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/data-engineer-path-robotics-columbus-5a4ww2re92aj) — Columbus, OH
- [Early Career & University Relations Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/early-career-university-relations-recruiter-path-robotics-columbus-adb7w5bgdk64) — Columbus, OH