Role Description

This role sits at the core of our manufacturing operation and is responsible for designing, optimizing, and scaling how products are built, tested, and packaged.

You will take ownership of manufacturing process design—from early assembly concepts through production-ready lines—and continuously improve performance as volumes increase.

You will lead the setup and balancing of production lines, defining takt time, throughput targets, and identifying bottlenecks through data-driven analysis. Using industrial engineering fundamentals such as time studies, capacity modeling, and OEE, you will turn real production data into practical improvements that increase output, reduce cost, and improve reliability.

Working closely with Manufacturing, Quality, and Engineering, you will create and maintain clear process documentation including SOPs, work instructions, and control plans. You will apply quality tools such as SPC, FMEA, and structured root-cause analysis to drive yield improvement and defect reduction, ensuring processes are both capable and repeatable.

Data is central to this role. You will analyze production performance using Excel, SQL, or similar tools to build dashboards, track KPIs, and surface issues before they become problems.

In a fast-growing environment, you will help establish the standards, metrics, and processes that allow manufacturing to scale cleanly and predictably.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys being on the production floor, solving tangible problems, and using data and engineering discipline to turn complexity into efficient, repeatable operations.

This is a full-time, onsite role in Emeryville and Oakland, CA.

Responsibility

• Own how products are built end-to-end, from early assembly concepts to production-ready processes.

• Design, set up, and iterate on assembly, test, and packaging processes as volumes ramp.

• Build and balance production lines quickly, defining takt time and throughput with limited data.

• Identify bottlenecks in real time and implement fixes directly on the floor.

• Run time studies and capacity models to support hiring, equipment, and layout decisions.

• Use OEE and basic line metrics to expose losses and drive practical improvements.

• Create simple, clear SOPs and work instructions that technicians actually use.

• Ensure products meet internal quality standards and external regulatory requirements by establishing robust quality processes, overseeing audits, and driving corrective and preventive actions.

• Own operational budgets and cost targets, monitor performance against KPIs, and implement cost-control strategies to improve margins without compromising quality or delivery. Keep process documentation current as designs, tools, and methods evolve.

• Apply pragmatic quality tools (SPC where it matters, FMEA, 5 Whys, 8D) to improve yield and reduce rework.

• Lead root-cause investigations for production and quality issues and drive corrective actions to closure.

• Design or improve fixtures, jigs, and light automation to reduce variability and manual effort.

• Work side-by-side with technicians to validate processes and train on changes.

• Build lightweight dashboards and KPIs using Excel, SQL, or similar tools to track performance.

• Surface risks early—capacity, quality, or throughput—and propose clear mitigation plans.

• Help establish the standards, metrics, and playbooks that will support future scaling and new lines.

• Support NPI efforts by standing up processes fast and stabilizing them for production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering (or equivalent experience).
• 5 + years in production / manufacturing engineering in a real factory.
• Manufacturing process design & optimization (assembly, test, packaging, automation).
• Production line setup & balancing (test time, throughput, bottleneck analysis).
• Industrial engineering fundamentals (time studies, capacity modeling, Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), etc.).

Work Authorization

Akash Systems does not sponsor or take over sponsorship for employment visas for this role (e.g., H‑1B, O‑1, TN, F‑1/OPT, etc.). Eligible candidates are U.S. citizens or U.S. lawful permanent residents (Green Card Holders).