Engineering Manufacturing interview prep.

Behavioural questions to expect

1. Walk me through your manufacturing engineering background + programme experience.
2. Tell me about an NPI or rate-up programme you've worked on.
3. Why aerospace + defense manufacturing vs automotive / consumer / other paths?
4. Why this domain - aviation / space / missiles / propulsion / structures?
5. Why the firm?
6. What's your read on our programme portfolio + factory footprint?
7. Tell me what you understand about our manufacturing engineering culture + ME authority.
8. Walk me through a design-to-production / NPI case.

Technical concepts to master

• Producibility + DfM / DfA

  Producibility review · DfM / DfA / DfX · Key Characteristic (KC) flow-down · Tooling + fixture design · Cost-of-production discipline

• NPI + MRL maturation

  MRL framework · LRIP vs FRP · Production readiness gates · Build-to-print vs design-and-build · Sustainment + obsolescence (DMSMS)

• AS9100 + AS9102 FAI + Nadcap

  AS9100 QMS · AS9102 First Article Inspection (FAI / FAIR) · Nadcap special-process accreditation · AS13100 + AESQ · DCMA + FAA / EASA production oversight

• Configuration + traceability + sustainment

  Configuration baselines + ECN / ECP · Serialisation + traceability · FRACAS + corrective action · Counterfeit + supply integrity · ITAR + foreign-person access

Practical drills

• Design engineering is releasing a new structural assembly with tight tolerances + multiple special processes. You see producibility risk. Walk through how you'd run the producibility review + negotiate DfM changes.
• You're ME lead for first article on a complex assembly. Walk through FAI planning per AS9102, then handle a scenario where two dimensions fail on the first FAIR.
• Your programme is in LRIP at rate 2 / month, targeting FRP at rate 8 / month within 18 months. A special-process supplier is the binding constraint - cycle time + Nadcap qualification. Walk through your rate-up plan.

Smart-question anchors

• Programme + production stage - LRIP / FRP / sustainment mix
• Factory footprint + vertical integration - build-to-print vs design-and-build
• Special-process posture - Nadcap accreditations + escape history
• Quality + FAI rhythm - AS9100 / AS9102 / AS13100 maturity + DCMA history
• MRL maturation + tooling + automation strategy

Sourced from

SAE AS9100 + AS9102 (First Article Inspection) + AS13100 standards · Nadcap (National Aerospace + Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) · DoD Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) Deskbook · INCOSE + DoD 5000 + DAU manufacturing + production guidance · SME Manufacturing Engineering + AIA / GAMA aerospace industry materials