Manufacturing Engineer

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer III / IV

Job Description

This Manufacturing Engineer III/IV role focuses on owning complex, mission-critical hardware from initial planning through final delivery in a high-mix, low-volume defense manufacturing environment. Rather than traditional floor-based process improvement, you will act as a Manufacturing Project / Product / Work-Package Engineer, managing production schedules and line-of-balance, resolving technical and supplier issues, and coordinating across engineering, quality, procurement, program management, and customers to ensure on-time delivery. You will remotely oversee manufacturing execution in partnership with production sites and suppliers, proactively identifying risks and driving issues to resolution while supporting advanced launch and recovery systems. The position offers broad visibility across the organization and clear growth paths into senior project engineering, technical leadership, or program management.

Responsibilities

• Own an assigned hardware scope comprising numerous part numbers and assemblies from initial planning through final delivery, ensuring all work packages meet technical and schedule requirements.
• Develop, implement, and maintain manufacturing methods, operation sequences, and processes for the fabrication of parts, components, sub-assemblies, and final assemblies.
• Track parts and assemblies against production schedules and line-of-balance, monitoring status and performance throughout the manufacturing lifecycle.
• Identify schedule, quality, supplier, procurement, and technical risks and create and execute recovery plans to maintain on-time delivery.
• Investigate, disposition, and justify product, drawing, and specification nonconformances through Material Review Board (MRB) processes.
• Lead manufacturing execution and problem solving by investigating schedule delays, dispositioning nonconforming hardware, and driving root-cause and corrective actions.
• Collaborate closely with design engineering on technical specifications and support design-for-manufacturability to ensure robust, producible designs.
• Coordinate and communicate across manufacturing, design engineering, quality, procurement, suppliers, program management, and customers to align priorities and resolve issues.
• Perform supplier audit and oversight activities and support on-site supplier kickoff meetings to establish plans, schedules, and deliverables for assigned hardware.
• Coordinate engineering changes and change proposals, ensuring accurate and timely updates to manufacturing documentation and government-contracting records.
• Manage and maintain government-contracting documentation associated with assigned hardware scope, adhering to applicable standards and internal processes.
• Report project status regularly, escalate risks when necessary, and support budget reviews with the Control Account Manager and program leadership.
• Support new product development efforts by defining manufacturing processes, identifying risks, and contributing to continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Apply lean manufacturing and process improvement principles to enhance efficiency, quality, and schedule performance across assigned work packages.
• Participate in and support nonconformance reporting (NCR), corrective and preventive action activities, and continuous improvement projects.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or a related technical field, preferably Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Electrical engineering.
• Level III: approximately 5+ years of related manufacturing or project engineering experience; Level IV: approximately 9+ years of related manufacturing or project engineering experience, with the ability to substitute equivalent experience for formal education where appropriate.
• Demonstrated technical project or hardware ownership experience, having owned a product, work package, or assembly from planning through delivery.
• Proven ability to track hardware status against production schedules and line-of-balance and to manage complex manufacturing timelines.
• Strong manufacturing engineering background, including developing and maintaining manufacturing methods, operation sequences, and processes for fabrication and assembly.
• Experience in manufacturing execution and problem solving, including investigating schedule delays, dispositioning nonconforming hardware, and leading root-cause and corrective actions.
• Effective cross-functional communication skills, with experience coordinating across manufacturing, design engineering, quality, procurement, suppliers, program management, and customers.
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume or low-rate production environments, particularly involving complex hardware and long manufacturing timelines.
• Exposure to welding, fabrication, and machining processes and the ability to understand their impact on manufacturing methods and schedules.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities shift and issues may not be clearly defined, proactively identifying and resolving risks.
• Basic CAD proficiency with at least one platform (such as SolidWorks, Creo, NX, or CATIA) sufficient to read models and drawings.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with nonconformance and Material Review Board (MRB) processes, including investigating, dispositioning, and documenting product and specification issues.
• background in corrective and preventive action and root-cause analysis, with the ability to lead structured problem-solving activities.
• Familiarity with line-of-balance techniques for tracking production progress and managing schedule performance.
• Experience with engineering change proposals and coordinating engineering changes in a production environment.
• Design-for-manufacturability (DFM) experience, collaborating with design teams to ensure products are optimized for manufacturing.
• Supplier management experience, including supplier audit and oversight and participation in supplier kickoff meetings.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management systems and associated documentation and process requirements.
• Exposure to Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies and an interest in applying continuous improvement tools.
• Experience working on government or Department of Defense (DoD) programs and familiarity with related documentation and compliance requirements.
• background in aerospace and defense, shipbuilding, heavy industrial, automotive, electromechanical systems, machining and fabrication, or semiconductor equipment.
• Experience in small or mid-size manufacturing environments where engineers "wear many hats" and take broad ownership of projects and processes.
• Interest in progressing toward senior project engineering, technical leadership, or program management roles within a growing engineering organization.

Work Environment

This is an onsite role within a growing Manufacturing Operations engineering organization in a high-mix, low-volume, government-contracting environment supporting complex defense hardware. The team is expanding significantly and transitioning from a single work-package owner model to a more collaborative, team-based structure. Depending on experience, new hires may work under a senior manufacturing engineer, own a subset of hardware, lead a small work-package team, or grow into the lead for an assigned hardware scope. The manufacturing floor is located remotely from the engineering team, so you will manage execution from a distance while coordinating closely with the production site, suppliers, and internal departments. The pace is fast and highly dynamic, with shifting priorities and issues that are not always clearly defined, favoring engineers who proactively identify and resolve risks rather than waiting for assigned tasks. You will have daily cross-functional interaction with manufacturing, design engineering, quality, procurement, supply chain, program management, and customers. New hires should expect a 3-6 month ramp-up period, including shadowing a senior engineer and learning internal systems, processes, and government-contracting documentation. The environment offers broad visibility, opportunities to lead hardware scopes or small teams, and a streamlined interview process designed to move qualified candidates quickly through selection.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of San Diego, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $68770.00 - $116193.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Direct placement - full benefits through GA.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in San Diego,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 10, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.