Your space-enabled career begins here

At 1872 AI, we are transforming industrial manufacturing in the United States by building AI-native factories capable of lights-out production—from CAD to finished part with minimal human input. Our initial focus targets the energy and infrastructure sectors—power generation, grid infrastructure, and compute facilities—where critical supply chain bottlenecks in steel fabrication are limiting growth.

About the Role

This is a technically-grounded program management role for someone who wants to own a product from the moment a customer sends a drawing to the moment a finished part ships.

You will work directly under the Head of Operations as the technical owner of every active job — from customer DFM review and quoting through purchasing, supplier coordination, shop floor execution alongside our fabricators, and delivery. You are the connective tissue between the customer’s engineering intent and our production team’s ability to execute it.

You will not be behind a desk. You will be on the floor, following parts through cells, catching issues before they become non-conformances, and making sure the Sr. Manufacturing Engineer and the fabrication team have everything they need to run.

If you want a structured corporate environment with defined lanes, this role is not for you. If you want to own a job end-to-end, make real decisions under pressure, and build the operational backbone of an AI-native manufacturer from the ground up — you will thrive here.

• Primary Interfaces: Head of Operations, Sr. Manufacturing Engineer, Robotic Fabrication Lead, customers (technical), suppliers and vendors
• Key Metrics: On-time delivery, quote accuracy, first-pass yield on released drawings, supplier lead time, non-conformance resolution time
• Key Systems/Tools: Professional CAD platform (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or equivalent), OnShape, ERP/MES systems, quoting tools, internal production software

Key Responsibilities

• Quoting & Estimating: Translate customer drawings and models into accurate cost estimates based on internal labor, equipment capabilities, and external supply chain. Own the quote from first review to customer delivery.
• DFM Review & CAD Refinement: Review customer-supplied models and drawings for manufacturability. Modify geometry, tolerances, and weld details to make parts ready for our fabricators and robotic programming software. Flag risks early and propose practical design adjustments.
• Work Instructions: Generate clear, production-ready work instructions that give fabricators and robotic programmers everything they need to execute — no ambiguity, no gaps.
• Purchasing & Supplier Coordination: Release POs, manage vendor relationships, and coordinate outsourcing to minimize lead time constraints. Know when to make vs. buy, and execute the decision cleanly.
• Shop Floor Ownership: Follow active jobs across the floor alongside the Sr. Manufacturing Engineer and the fabrication team. Identify blockers in real time, coordinate solutions, and make sure parts move.
• Customer Technical Interface: Own day-to-day technical communication with customers — status updates, non-conformance disposition, drawing revisions, and schedule changes. The Head of Operations owns the business relationship; you own the technical one.
• QA Coordination: Support first article inspections, manage non-conformance documentation, and drive corrective action closure with the production team.
• Process Documentation: Contribute to the 1872 Manufacturing OS — turning job-specific learning into repeatable standards and playbooks.

Base Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Welding Engineering — or equivalent hands-on engineering experience.
• 2–8 years of experience in a manufacturing engineering, product engineering, or technical program management role.
• Proficiency in a professional-grade CAD platform (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or equivalent) — you can open a customer model, identify a manufacturability issue, and fix it.
• Familiarity with ERP or MES systems for production planning, purchasing, or job tracking.
• Strong written and verbal communication — you can write a crisp work instruction, run a non-conformance call with a customer, and give the Sr. Manufacturing Engineer a clear handoff without ambiguity.
• Comfortable spending meaningful time on the shop floor — this is not a remote or office-only role.

We consider equivalent experience. If you meet most of the requirements, apply.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior exposure to metal fabrication, structural steel, or welding processes — either hands-on or in a technical support role. Fast learners without direct fabrication experience are welcome if they can demonstrate the pattern.
• Experience in a job shop, contract manufacturer, or custom fabrication environment — familiarity with high-mix, low-volume quoting and production is a strong signal.
• Hands-on experience releasing POs, managing vendor lead times, and coordinating outsourced work.
• Comfort with customer-facing technical communication — you’ve handled a non-conformance call, a drawing revision request, or a schedule change conversation directly.
• Up to 25% travel for customer site visits, design reviews, or non-conformance resolution.

You are likely a strong fit if you:

• Have followed a part from drawing to shipment and owned every step in between
• Get uncomfortable when a job goes dark on the floor and no one knows where it is
• Can read a weld drawing, spot a tolerance that won’t hold, and propose a fix on the spot
• Are equally comfortable in a customer meeting and on the shop floor
• Want to build something — not maintain something

Why Join

• What you’ll build first: The quoting, DFM, and supplier coordination infrastructure that lets 1872 take on more jobs faster — and the shop floor cadence that keeps the Sr. Manufacturing Engineer focused on process development instead of job tracking
• Impact: You are the operational interface between our customers and our production team. The quality of your work directly determines our lead times, our yield, and our ability to win and keep customers
• Growth: As we scale to additional factories, this role grows with us — into program management leadership, supply chain ownership, or a senior engineering track depending on where your strengths take you

How to Apply

Fill out our application form and see what we can build together. Please include:

• Resume or LinkedIn profile
• A brief description of a job or project you owned end-to-end — what you inherited, what decisions you made, and what shipped

This role is based on-site in Cincinnati, OH and is not open to remote work.

1872 AI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. To request a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact recruiting@1872.ai.

This position may be subject to a background check in accordance with applicable law. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration.