Manufacturing Engineer I

Founded in 1918, Kearfott Corporation is a global Aerospace and Defense supplier with over a century of expertise in designing and manufacturing precision motion control products and inertial navigation components. The company is recognized for innovation, excellence, and reliability, serving customers worldwide in sea, land, air, and space navigation and guidance.

About the role

The Manufacturing Engineer I will support manufacturing operations across electronic, electromechanical, and precision assemblies by applying engineering principles to improve processes, optimize workflow, and maintain documentation. This role provides hands-on engineering support for Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and other manufacturing areas through process development, troubleshooting, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Create, revise, and maintain manufacturing work instructions, operation sheets, process documentation, and visual work instructions for components, subassemblies, and finished products.
• Support day-to-day manufacturing operations by troubleshooting production issues and implementing timely, effective engineering solutions.
• Develop, improve, and maintain manufacturing processes for electronic, electromechanical, and precision assemblies, including Circuit Card Assembly (CCA).
• Determine manufacturing capacity across product lines and recommend improvements to maximize throughput and efficiency.
• Propose and implement solutions to eliminate manufacturing inefficiencies and production bottlenecks.
• Perform root cause analysis of production failures and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Support prototype builds, engineering development builds, first article inspections, qualification activities, and new product introductions.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering to improve product manufacturability and support engineering changes.
• Evaluate and implement tooling, fixtures, manufacturing equipment, and process improvements to enhance quality, repeatability, and productivity.
• Train operators, technicians, and engineers on manufacturing procedures, process changes, and best practices.
• Support Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing organization.
• Prepare technical reports, process documentation, and project updates for engineering and management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a science or engineering discipline from an accredited educational institution.
• Previous experience supporting manufacturing in aerospace, defense, medical device, or other high-reliability environments preferred.
• Experience working in AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 certified manufacturing facilities preferred.
• Experience working in ESD-controlled manufacturing environments preferred.
• Experience with IPC-A-610 workmanship standards preferred.
• Current or previous IPC J-STD-001 Certification (or ability to obtain certification) preferred.
• Must be a US Citizen.

Skills

• Capable of working independently and within cross-functional teams (engineers, technicians, operators, quality personnel, and supply chain professionals).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience in manufacturing process development and continuous improvement.
• Detail-oriented with a hands-on approach to resolving manufacturing challenges.
• Hands-on experience with electronics assembly, circuit card assembly, electromechanical assembly, precision mechanical assembly, or high-reliability manufacturing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including technical documentation and presentations.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite required; ERP/MRP systems preferred.
• Familiarity with engineering drawings, bills of material, manufacturing documentation, and configuration management.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies preferred.

Pay

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in New Jersey is $80,000 - $95,000 annually. Final offer may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal consistency.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Tuition assistance.
• Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays.
• 9/80 work week with every other Friday off.
• Monthly employee events celebrating workplace culture.