Manufacturing Engineer - Custom

About the Role

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will drive operational excellence through process improvement, equipment optimization, systems integration, manufacturing support, and new product introduction activities. This role plays a critical part in transforming custom product concepts into safe, efficient, and scalable manufacturing processes. You will partner closely with Product Engineering, Sales, Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Production teams to evaluate manufacturability, develop production methods, establish labor standards, and support custom and project-based orders from concept through production launch. This position serves as a key link between product design and manufacturing execution, ensuring new products can be produced safely, efficiently, and profitably while meeting quality, delivery, and cost objectives.

This full-time position reports directly to the Manufacturing Engineering Manager and is located at Safco’s manufacturing plant in Milford, IA.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary manufacturing engineering resource for custom and project-based products, ensuring accurate product setup, manufacturing readiness, labor standards, and successful production launch.
• Partner with Product Engineering and Operations teams to support new product introduction (NPI) and new product development initiatives. Review product designs and manufacturing processes to ensure manufacturability, production readiness, quality standards, and cost effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing processes, routings, labor standards, work instructions, SOPs, process maps, tooling requirements, and bills of material (BOMs) for new and existing products.
• Coordinate and support prototype builds, pilot runs, and first-production launches with NPI Lead and area support roles. Identify and implement process improvements that enable efficient production of custom and project-based orders.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.
• Conduct safety and ergonomic assessments of manufacturing processes, equipment, and workstations; develop and implement solutions that reduce risk, improve operator efficiency, and support compliance with company safety standards.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Determine root causes of failures using detailed observation and statistical methods, recommend/implement changes in designs, tolerance, or processing methods.
• Provide technical expertise or support related to manufacturing in Wood departments. Incorporate new methods and processes to improve existing operations. Troubleshoot new or existing product problems involving designs, materials, or processes.
• Conduct time studies, workflow analyses, and capacity assessments to identify opportunities for increased efficiency and throughput.
• Design and implement plant layouts, material flow improvements, and workspace optimization projects.
• Train and support employees on new processes, equipment, procedures, and manufacturing best practices.
• Communicate manufacturing capabilities or other information to facilitate production processes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Candidates may qualify through a combination of education and relevant manufacturing engineering experience. Equivalent combinations of education, technical training, and work experience will be considered.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, Mechanical Engineering, or related field plus 3+ years of relevant manufacturing engineering experience; or
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing experience with demonstrated expertise in:
  • Bills of Material (BOMs)
  • Routings
  • Engineering Change Orders (ECOs)
  • CAD/SolidWorks
  • Manufacturing processes
  • Product launches and process improvement
• Strong experience with AutoCAD and SolidWorks required.
• Ability to read and understand blueprints (drawings).
• Experience in gathering and implementing labor standards.
• Demonstrated knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Ability to identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds on an occasional basis.
• Ability to efficiently organize and manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• High attention to detail and sound judgment in decisions.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing, logistics, or industrial operations.
• Experience in high-mix manufacturing environments.
• Previous Engineering support in a custom manufactured environment.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement tools such as Kaizen or 5S.
• Basic project management skills and familiarity with project management tools.
• Experience with ERP systems, JD Edwards a plus.

Pay

The starting base salary range for this position is $70,960 - $88,700 per year. The compensation posted is the anticipated pay for the position at the time of the posting. Pay may vary above or below the posted amount based on several factors, including, but not limited to, education and/or certifications, skills, experience, or work location. Some positions may qualify for additional compensation in the form of bonuses.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance options.
• Paid time off and 10 paid holidays.
• 401(k) with company matching and annual discretionary profit sharing.
• Flexible spending and health savings account options.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Tuition assistance.
• Wellness and mental health resources.
• Financial advising services.

Eligibility in benefit programs is based on hours worked per week.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regular sitting, standing, and walking throughout the day to accomplish tasks.
• Manual and finger dexterity used regularly with some repetitive finger motions.
• Ability to work in front of a computer screen for long periods of time.
• Specific vision abilities include close and distance vision; ability to identify colors, small letters, and numbers; hand/eye coordination, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Hearing and speaking abilities.
• Frequent reaching, stretching, pushing, pulling, pinching, grasping, and gripping.

About Our Company

Comprised of multiple companies with headquarters in New Hope, Minnesota, Liberty Diversified International (LDI) is a privately held company employing more than 1,900 individuals across manufacturing facilities, production facilities, and core business operations in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, Virginia, California, and Mexico. With deep roots in the corrugated box manufacturing industry, we operate in the core markets of paper, packaging, workplace products, corrugated plastics, and building products. Since 1918, our values – Caring, Innovation, Trust, and Excellence – have guided our day-to-day activities. We believe that when our employees are aligned with these values, we create superior service and solutions for our customers. The LDI family of companies includes Liberty Packaging, Liberty Paper, Liberty Plastics (Custom Solutions and Quarrix Building Products), and Safco.