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Manufacturing Engineer at Freeform in Hawthorne, California | Swiftcruit
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 will take on one of the defining engineering challenges in advanced manufacturing: scaling the post-processing of complex metal additive parts from early-stage operations to true production volume. The gap between "it works" and "it works at scale, repeatably, and economically" is where this role lives.
Freeform has built what others are still trying to figure out - a fully autonomous, software-defined metal parts factory - and post-processing is the critical path to getting there. You'll be architecting systems and processes capable of handling extraordinary part complexity, material diversity, and production throughput simultaneously, while maintaining the agility that lets our R&D engine keep pushing the frontier.
This is a greenfield engineering problem at massive scale, not an optimization exercise. You'll need to think in systems, move fast without creating brittleness, and make pragmatic tradeoffs that compound in the right direction over time. The work will touch every function in the company and your decisions will directly shape what Freeform can build, for whom, and how fast.
If you've thrived in high-velocity hardware environments where the processes didn't exist yet and the stakes were real, this role was built for you.
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
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, or related engineering field
Internship or professional experience in manufacturing, development engineering, or build engineering
Experience working with hand tools, machinery, or complex hardware assembly
Nice to Have:
2+ years of experience in a hands-on manufacturing or production engineering role
Experience with manufacturing process development in a fast-paced hardware environment
Understanding of GD&T and/or how to read drawings
Experience with metal additive manufacturing or precision post-processing
Exposure to fixturing, DFM, or process validation
Familiarity with MRP/ERP tools and production tracking systems
Ability to translate high-level engineering goals into practical factory processes
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.
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)
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
As a growing company, the salary range is intentionally wide as we determine the most appropriate package for each individual taking into consideration years of experience, educational background, and unique skills and abilities as demonstrated throughout the interview process. 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 $90,000-$130,000. The upper end of the range is reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional experience, deep domain mastery, and a proven history of high performance and impact.
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.
