MES Engineer

Actalent is seeking an MES Engineer to design, develop, and support Manufacturing Execution System (MES) applications that enable efficient, reliable, and modern factory operations.

About the role

This role translates business and factory floor requirements into robust technical solutions, supports existing MES applications, and contributes to the ongoing MES strategy and process improvement initiatives. You will work closely with stakeholders and a cross-functional development team in a hybrid environment combining onsite work at manufacturing and office facilities with remote work.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with stakeholders and team members to understand business and factory floor requirements and translate them into effective MES solutions.
• Design and develop application deliverables for new MES implementations and enhancements to existing MES applications, using modern software development methodologies.
• Work as an active member of an agile/scrum development team to plan, build, test, and deliver MES features from the product backlog.
• Provide technical support for assigned MES applications to factories and internal business partners, including troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and remediation of application issues.
• Analyze and resolve issues related to MES applications, ensuring minimal impact on manufacturing and production operations.
• Maintain and improve user reference materials by writing, revising, or coordinating the creation of documentation for MES applications.
• Contribute to the development of MES strategy, including evaluating and incorporating new technologies and approaches.
• Promote process improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance MES functionality, performance, and support processes.
• Collaborate closely with factory personnel and other internal business partners to understand operational needs and ensure MES solutions meet those needs.
• Support software testing, deployments, database-related activities, and technical documentation as part of the overall solution lifecycle.
• Participate in agile ceremonies and follow agile/scrum practices, preferably within a SAFe framework.
• Continuously expand knowledge in related technical areas such as testing, development, databases, deployment, documentation, and project coordination.

Requirements

• Approximately 7 years of experience in a similar software engineering or MES-focused role.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working on highly collaborative, large cross-functional projects.
• Proven ability to gather, understand, and work with business requirements at various levels.
• Strong experience troubleshooting and resolving issues in legacy applications.
• Comprehensive understanding of modern software development principles and methodologies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work productively in a cross-functional team environment.
• Practical understanding of factory floor operations and manufacturing processes.
• Experience working within an agile/scrum team environment, preferably using the SAFe framework.

Skills

• Hands-on experience with Java.
• Hands-on experience with C# and the .NET Framework.
• Experience with C or C++.
• Proficiency in JavaScript.
• Experience with Angular (version 5 or later).
• Proficiency in HTML and CSS.
• Experience with JSP.
• Experience deploying and supporting applications on Tomcat.
• Experience deploying and supporting applications on IIS.
• Strong SQL skills and experience with SQL Server.
• Experience with DB2 databases.
• Experience with ORM frameworks such as Hibernate and Entity Framework.
• Experience using Azure DevOps for source control, work management, and/or CI/CD.
• Experience with Microsoft Power Apps.
• Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
• Experience supporting manufacturing or factory automation environments.
• Familiarity with software testing, deployments, database management, and technical documentation.
• Ability and willingness to learn new technologies and development disciplines related to technical solution delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related technical or engineering discipline is preferred.
• Prior experience specifically implementing or enhancing MES solutions in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting application users in factory or production settings, including responding to support calls and resolving incidents.
• Exposure to or experience with agile frameworks such as SAFe in a large enterprise environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly in diagnosing complex application and integration issues.
• Ability to clearly document technical solutions, user guides, and support procedures.
• Demonstrated initiative in learning new tools, technologies, and development practices.
• Comfort working across the full solution lifecycle, including development, testing, deployment, and ongoing support.

Work Environment

This role operates in a hybrid environment that combines onsite work at manufacturing and office facilities with remote work. The team typically works onsite Monday through Thursday and remotely on Fridays, with flexibility based on project needs. The MES Engineer may be onsite approximately two days per week on average, with increased onsite presence during initial onboarding and training.

You will collaborate closely with factory personnel, engineers, and cross-functional teams, supporting live manufacturing environments where reliability and responsiveness are critical. The technical environment includes modern software development tools and technologies such as Java, C, C#, .NET Framework, JavaScript, Angular (v5+), HTML/CSS, JSP, Tomcat, IIS, SQL Server, DB2, ORM frameworks (Hibernate, Entity Framework), Azure DevOps, and Microsoft Power Apps.

Work involves typical office and computer-based tasks, remote collaboration, and occasional visits to factory floors to understand operations and support MES applications.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $61.00 - $61.00/hr.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Schedule

This is a contract, hybrid position based in St. Louis, MO. The team typically works onsite Monday through Thursday and remotely on Fridays, with flexibility based on project needs.