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Kip Atkinson has a long and successful career in manufacturing engineering. Kip began their career in 2000 as a Technical Support Engineer at Datex-Ohmeda, where they oversaw design, analysis, procurement, and implementation of hardware used in the manufacture of Sp02 sensors. Kip also led two initiatives that reduced operating costs by $420k/year and was responsible for Failure Mode Analysis of field returns and implementation of subsequent corrective actions.

In 2004, Atkinson moved to Rocky Mountain Instruments - Laser Division, where they were a Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineer. Kip was responsible for leading the design of the Marking Head of the Archer Laser Marking System from concept, through prototype and into initial material orders in 12 weeks. Kip also sourced vendors, placed orders, created assembly manuals and fixtures, and maintained accurate BOM's for varied models.

In 2005, Atkinson became a Jr. Optical Mechanical Engineer at SAIC International. Kip was responsible for designing and fabricating mechanical components fit to specialized optical components along a precise path with multiple degrees of freedom, utilizing SolidworksCAD and Accu-Rite CNC software. Kip also placed purchase part orders, generated and maintained accurate Bills of Material, and programmed and operated a 2-axis CNC mill and manual lathe in creating custom components on multiple simultaneous projects.

Atkinson then moved to Hunter Douglas in 2006 as a Process Engineer. In 2009, they became a Manufacturing Engineer at UQM Technologies, where they were responsible for designing and installing medium/high volume semi- and automated assembly systems. Kip also created assembly methodology, work instructions, and operator training, as well as assessing field return issues and generating corrective actions.

In 2015, Atkinson became a Manufacturing Engineer at Circle Graphics, where they focused on process improvement, equipment up time, improved maintenance procedures and methods, and incorporating operator feedback into equipment and process improvement to expedite cultural changes in a lean environment. Kip also utilized Lean principles and practices to reduce rework rates from 12%-4% and devised a startup method for CNC operators to minimize risk of machine damage during operation. Kip also coordinated the development of a robust product specification matrix to aid in bringing new products and formats online faster, and was an active/sole contributor in defining operation specific KPI's for performance analysis.

Finally, in 2022, Atkinson joined Scythe Robotics as a Sr Manufacturing Engineer. Kip is currently in this role.

Kip Atkinson attended the University of Colorado Boulder from 1998 to 2002, where they obtained a BSME in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to that, they attended Front Range Community College from 1994 to 1995, where they earned an AAS in Electronics Technology.