About the Role
Most early-career developer jobs hand you a ticket queue and a style guide. This one hands you a blank whiteboard and five manufacturing companies.
Big Rocks Manufacturing is a family of precision manufacturers across Missouri — CNC machining, metal fabrication, stamping, tool & die, and powder coating. We process 200+ requests for quote every month, run five facilities on systems that don't fully talk to each other, and we know there's a better way. We just need the right person to help us figure out what that looks like — and then build it.
This is a founding technical role. You won't be executing someone else's architecture. You'll be defining ours. That means evaluating our current tech stack, identifying where AI and automation can create the most leverage, recommending the right tools and platforms, and integrating systems that have never been connected before. The AI Estimating Agent is the flagship first project — but it's one piece of a much larger technology foundation you'll help design from the ground up.
If you want to own something that matters and build something that lasts, keep reading.
What You'll Build
The Foundation (Months 1–4):
- Audit our current tech stack across all five operating companies — ERP, CRM, quoting systems, and production data
- Map where systems are siloed, where data is manual, and where AI can create the most immediate leverage
- Recommend our technology roadmap: what we build, what we buy, and how it all connects
- Deploy RFQ intake automation and launch real-time operational dashboards — fast wins that deliver value while the bigger build is underway
The AI Estimating Agent (Months 5–18):
- Build a system capable of reading 2D and 3D CAD files, extracting manufacturing features, generating routers and bills of materials, and exporting directly to our ERP — with human-approval checkpoints throughout
- This is the flagship project: a multi-layer AI system that touches CAD processing, LLM-based document analysis, manufacturing domain logic, cost modeling, and ERP integration
The Broader Platform (Month 12+):
- Design and build additional automation agents: quote follow-up, capacity-aware scheduling, outside processing RFQ automation, and cross-site job routing intelligence
- Each agent you build runs on the same infrastructure — the platform compounds in value with every addition
Ongoing:
- Own the technology stack decisions as the company grows — evaluating new tools, integrating new systems, and keeping the platform scalable
- Maintain and improve all deployed agents, dashboards, and integrations
- Train and support staff across five sites
- Present quarterly roadmap reviews to executive leadership
What We're Looking For
Required:
- Pursuing or completed a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, or related field
- Strong Python skills — you can write, debug, and maintain scripts independently
- Familiarity with REST APIs and JSON
- Exposure to AI/ML development through coursework, personal projects, or internship work
- Comfort with ambiguity — you'll be defining the path, not just following one
- Genuine curiosity about how things are made — you'll spend real time on the shop floor
- Clear communicator who can explain technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders
Nice to Have:
- Any CAD experience — SolidWorks, Fusion 360, AutoCAD, even hobby use
- Experience with LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic) or agent frameworks (LangChain, LlamaIndex)
- Familiarity with CAD file formats (STEP, IGES, DXF) or geometry libraries
- Experience with BI/dashboard tools (Power BI, Metabase, Streamlit)
- SQL experience
- Any manufacturing, engineering, or fabrication background — even personal projects
Location
St. Louis, MO 63111 — In person with travel. Regular on-site visits to our operating companies in central Missouri are part of the job. If you want to understand what you're building, you need to see it in person.
Why This Role Is Different
You won't spend years waiting for ownership here. From day one, you're the person who defines how a multi-company manufacturing operation thinks about technology — and then builds it. The decisions you make in Year 1 shape the competitive position of six companies for the next decade.
That's a lot of responsibility for an early-career role. It's also exactly what makes it worth doing.
To Apply
Apply directly through indeed, include a cover letter and a brief note about a technical project you've built. A GitHub portfolio with AI or API work is a strong positive signal. We read them.
Pay: $55,000.00 - $72,000.00 per year
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
