Rachel Yim

Manager, Manufacturing Engineering Small Aircraft @Anduril Industries

Costa Mesa, CA, US

As a hands-on manufacturing leader in a dynamic startup environment, I have built and led the manufacturing engineering function supporting the rapid transition from prototype to scalable flight production across complex electro-mechanical defense systems.• Scaled production 10× by establishing foundational manufacturing infrastructure, driving agile iteration, and enabling high-yield, high-mix assembly workflows.• Built and led a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers from the ground up, developing talent while fostering a strong culture of execution, adaptability, and systems thinking.• Developed robust planning tools for capacity modeling, headcount forecasting, and resource allocation—factoring in quality yield, takt time, sparing strategies, and risk-based buffers to support long-term scalability.• Created KPI dashboards and operational visibility tools to track throughput, rework rates, labor efficiency, and cycle time, enabling data-driven decisions and continuous improvement.• Led cross-functional alignment with hardware engineering, quality, and supply chain to implement DFM/DFA feedback loops, root cause corrective actions, and vendor readiness processes.• Established production flow and configuration control standards, implementing scalable inspection criteria, revision-controlled work instructions, and integration of quality gates to support flight readiness.This role has allowed me to apply startup-tested leadership and zero-to-one manufacturing expertise to scale production for cutting-edge defense technology. I’m passionate about building fast-moving, technically rigorous, cross-functional teams that deliver at the intersection of engineering precision and operational execution.

George Fox University

Bachelor of Science

Oregon State University

Master's degree

Oregon State University

MBA