Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Position Summary

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer drives improvements in complex manufacturing processes to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost goals, while providing technical leadership and cross-functional support.

Key Responsibilities

Process & Daily Operations Support

• Own assigned manufacturing processes/value streams, acting as the primary technical contact for production issues, nonconformances, and process questions.
• Monitor process performance (scrap, rework, OEE, throughput, changeover time, labor productivity) and drive corrective actions when performance deviates from target.
• Lead structured problem solving (5Why, Fishbone, DMAIC, PDCA) to address chronic issues in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Support operators and technicians with clear standard work, work instructions, and training.

Equipment & Tooling

• Lead capital equipment projects from concept through validation: requirements definition, vendor selection, design reviews, FAT/SAT, installation, and production ramp.
• Develop and execute equipment validation plans (process capability, gauge checks, safety, and reliability) to ensure readiness for production use.
• Design, specify, or improve tooling, fixtures, and gaging to enhance throughput, ergonomics, quality, and ease of use.
• Partner with Maintenance on preventive maintenance (PM) plans, critical spares strategies, and equipment reliability improvements.

Continuous Improvement & Automation

• Identify, prioritize, and lead continuous improvement projects that reduce scrap, improve yield, increase capacity, and reduce conversion cost.
• Champion Lean manufacturing principles (5S/6S, visual management, standard work, flow, pull, SMED, errorproofing) within assigned areas.
• Evaluate and deploy automation and digital solutions (e.g., robotics/cobots, automated inspection, data collection, SCADA/MES, AMRs) where they provide clear safety, quality, or cost benefits.
• Develop robust business cases (benefits, CAPEX, payback, IRR) and track realized savings.

New Products & Change Management

• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and transfers by defining manufacturable processes, layouts, and equipment for new designs.
• Participate in or lead PFMEA, Control Plan, and process capability work for new or changed processes.
• Own engineering changes (ECR/ECO) impacting manufacturing, ensuring risk is understood and changes are implemented with appropriate validation, documentation, and training.

Quality & Compliance

• Partner with Quality to ensure processes consistently meet internal specifications, customer requirements, and agency/industry standards.
• Support root cause and corrective actions (RCCA/CAPA) for internal and customer issues, including documentation and communication.
• Ensure equipment, processes, and documentation comply with relevant safety, regulatory, and audit requirements (e.g., machine guarding, LOTO, calibration, record retention).

Skills & Competencies

Technical / Professional

• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes and methods relevant to the site (e.g., machining, welding, assembly, thermal processes, testing, automation, vision systems).
• Proficient in engineering tools such as CAD, GD&T, statistical analysis (SPC, capability), and basic programming/configuration for relevant controls or data systems.
• Working knowledge of industrial electrical and controls systems (PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, safety circuits, sensors) sufficient to specify requirements, review designs, and support troubleshooting with Maintenance, vendors, or controls specialists.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, validate, and sustain robust manufacturing processes and equipment.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in engineering with 5+ years of related engineering experience OR Technical degree/certificate with 10+ years' related experience.
• Typically 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering or closely related roles, with evidence of increasing scope and impact.
• Demonstrated track record of reducing scrap, improving throughput, and/or deploying equipment/automation in a production environment.
• Experience leading crossfunctional projects from concept through implementation.
• Experience with troubleshooting electrical and mechanical issues in manufacturing equipment.

Preferred

• Experience in regulated or high reliability manufacturing (e.g., aerospace, medical, nuclear, semiconductor, or similar).
• Formal training or certification in Lean/Six Sigma, structured problem solving, or project management.
• Experience with MES/SCADA/data collection, automated inspection (vision systems), robotics/cobots, or advanced automation.
• Prior mentoring or informal people leadership responsibilities.
• Equipment build and integration experience encompassing both mechanical and electrical design.