Manufacturing Engineer II

Job Summary:

The Manufacturing Engineer II is responsible for independently developing, optimizing, and implementing manufacturing processes. This position serves as a technical resource to production and works cross-functionally with engineering, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and operations to improve manufacturing performance.

The Manufacturing Engineer II leads process-improvement initiatives, resolves complex manufacturing problems, develops tooling and fixtures, supports new product introduction, and provides technical direction for manufacturing processes. The position is expected to identify opportunities proactively and take ownership of projects from concept through implementation.

Essential Functions:

• Develop, implement, and optimize manufacturing processes
• Provide technical leadership and engineering support to production operations.
• Lead improvement projects focused on safety, quality, throughput, labor efficiency, capacity, and cost reduction.
• Design and implement fixtures, jigs, tooling, gauges, and other production aids.
• Create and maintain routings, work instructions, standard work, process documentation, and labor standards.
• Lead root-cause investigations for recurring quality, productivity, and manufacturing issues.
• Implement corrective and preventive actions and verify their effectiveness.
• Conduct time studies, capacity analysis, line balancing, and process-flow analysis.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and eliminate waste, bottlenecks, excessive handling, setup time, downtime, rework, and other sources of manufacturing inefficiency.
• Support new product introduction from prototype through production launch.
• Evaluate product designs for manufacturability and recommend design improvements.
• Evaluate engineering changes and determine appropriate manufacturing methods and implementation requirements.
• Support capital equipment projects, including equipment selection, justification, installation, commissioning, and process validation.
• Analyze manufacturing data and establish measurable process-performance improvements.
• Work with vendors and suppliers on tooling, equipment, materials, and process-development activities.
• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with safety, quality, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Participate in production planning and capacity discussions as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• 3–7 years of manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in metal fabrication or a similar discrete manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of metal fabrication processes and manufacturing methods.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and bills of material.
• Experience with CAD software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or similar.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and project-management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Ability to communicate effectively with production, engineering, quality, maintenance, and management personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead manufacturing improvement projects.

Preferred:

• Experience designing fixtures, tooling, and gauges.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing software.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement certification/training.
• Experience with automation, robotics, or machine integration.
• Experience developing labor standards and manufacturing cost estimates.
• Experience with process capability, SPC, FMEA, and structured problem-solving methods.

Key Competencies

• Advanced manufacturing and process knowledge
• Technical problem solving
• Project leadership
• Process optimization
• Design for manufacturability
• Data analysis
• Continuous improvement
• Cross-functional communication
• Decision making
• Mentoring and leadership
• Strong ownership and accountability

Success Measures:

Success in this position is demonstrated by the ability to:

• Independently identify and resolve complex manufacturing problems.
• Lead projects that measurably improve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, or cost.
• Develop robust, repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Successfully launch new products and manufacturing processes.
• Reduce scrap, rework, labor content, setup time, and production downtime.
• Improve manufacturing capacity and overall equipment utilization.
• Establish effective standards, documentation, and process controls.
• Serve as a trusted technical resource for production and engineering teams.
• Mentor less-experienced manufacturing engineers and technicians.
• Consistently deliver projects with measurable business results.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.