Vendra Verified
FinTech, Vending, Payments, IoT
Operations Engineer
San Francisco, California, United StatesOnsiteFull Time$100,000–$120,000 /yrPosted 1 month agoHidden Gem · YC Startup
Role summary
A fast-growing manufacturing startup serving top aerospace and defense teams is seeking an Operations Engineer to scale their RFQ-to-order process. This role involves evaluating parts for manufacturability, managing supplier operations from RFQ to delivery, and helping to automate internal processes using software and AI. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of manufacturing processes, including CNC machining and additive manufacturing, and the ability to read complex drawings and analyze CAD models. Experience with Python or scripting for automation is also desired. This hybrid role requires comfort with ambiguity and a proactive approach to problem-solving across engineering, operations, and product.
**We’re a fast growing manufacturing startup (30%+ MoM growth) working with top aerospace and defense teams, and we’re hiring an Operations Engineer to scale how we go from RFQs to orders.**
In a typical day, you might:
* Read and interpret 2D drawings and CAD to understand customer requirements
* Identify manufacturing risks before parts ever get to a supplier
* Put out a manufacturing fire (sometimes literally)
* Run supplier operations from RFQ to quote to production management to delivery
* Help turn human engineering judgment (aka all of the above) into reliable, automated software systems
### **What you’ll work on**
**You’ll operate across engineering, operations, and product to help us build and refine our internal processes and tools. You’ll have to wear hardware engineering, software engineering, and supply chain hats as needed.**
**Core Responsibilities**
1. Evaluate parts for manufacturability through Vendra’s supplier network
* Read and interpret 2D drawings and 3D CAD to understand customer requirements (GD&T, material, finish, setup, etc.)
* Flag manufacturing risks early and work with customers and suppliers to find alternate paths
2. Supplier matching and qualification
* Match customer requirements to suppliers in the Vendra network based on capabilities, real-time capacity, and past experience
* Build structure around capturing supplier experience (past performance, on-time-delivery, etc.) and feed it into our matching systems
3. Operations execution
* Own jobs from RFQ through delivery
* Troubleshoot issues across suppliers, customers, and internal workflows
* Step in wherever things are breaking, and fix them
4. System and automation
* Help design internal tools for supplier matching, drawing/CAD analysis, and automating RFQ and production workflows
* Use data (and AI) to continuously improve how decisions get made
### **What we’re looking for**
**We care much more about how you think and operate than your exact background. You might come from mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing, or even a highly technical operations role.**
**Required Qualifications**
* Strong ability to reason about how physical parts get made
* Strong experience with manufacturing, specifically in
* CNC machining (metals, plastics, composites)
* Additive manufacturing (FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLS, or similar)
* Proven ability to
* Read and understand complex 2D drawings (GD&T, tolerances, notes)
* Analyze CAD models to understand manufacturing processes and identify manufacturing issues quickly and accurately
* Comfort operating in ambiguity and making decisions with incomplete information
* Some ability to use code or tools (Python, scripts, AI tools) to analyze data or automate workflows
**Preferred Qualifications**
* Hands on experience taking parts from design → prototype → production
* Experience working with suppliers or external manufacturing partners
* Experience at a fast-moving startup or in an unstructured environment
**You’ll thrive in this role if you instinctively think about how things are actually made, enjoy solving messy real-world problems across people and systems, and want to turn repeat work into scalable processes.**
In a typical day, you might:
* Read and interpret 2D drawings and CAD to understand customer requirements
* Identify manufacturing risks before parts ever get to a supplier
* Put out a manufacturing fire (sometimes literally)
* Run supplier operations from RFQ to quote to production management to delivery
* Help turn human engineering judgment (aka all of the above) into reliable, automated software systems
### **What you’ll work on**
**You’ll operate across engineering, operations, and product to help us build and refine our internal processes and tools. You’ll have to wear hardware engineering, software engineering, and supply chain hats as needed.**
**Core Responsibilities**
1. Evaluate parts for manufacturability through Vendra’s supplier network
* Read and interpret 2D drawings and 3D CAD to understand customer requirements (GD&T, material, finish, setup, etc.)
* Flag manufacturing risks early and work with customers and suppliers to find alternate paths
2. Supplier matching and qualification
* Match customer requirements to suppliers in the Vendra network based on capabilities, real-time capacity, and past experience
* Build structure around capturing supplier experience (past performance, on-time-delivery, etc.) and feed it into our matching systems
3. Operations execution
* Own jobs from RFQ through delivery
* Troubleshoot issues across suppliers, customers, and internal workflows
* Step in wherever things are breaking, and fix them
4. System and automation
* Help design internal tools for supplier matching, drawing/CAD analysis, and automating RFQ and production workflows
* Use data (and AI) to continuously improve how decisions get made
### **What we’re looking for**
**We care much more about how you think and operate than your exact background. You might come from mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing, or even a highly technical operations role.**
**Required Qualifications**
* Strong ability to reason about how physical parts get made
* Strong experience with manufacturing, specifically in
* CNC machining (metals, plastics, composites)
* Additive manufacturing (FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLS, or similar)
* Proven ability to
* Read and understand complex 2D drawings (GD&T, tolerances, notes)
* Analyze CAD models to understand manufacturing processes and identify manufacturing issues quickly and accurately
* Comfort operating in ambiguity and making decisions with incomplete information
* Some ability to use code or tools (Python, scripts, AI tools) to analyze data or automate workflows
**Preferred Qualifications**
* Hands on experience taking parts from design → prototype → production
* Experience working with suppliers or external manufacturing partners
* Experience at a fast-moving startup or in an unstructured environment
**You’ll thrive in this role if you instinctively think about how things are actually made, enjoy solving messy real-world problems across people and systems, and want to turn repeat work into scalable processes.**
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