Process Engineer

Summary

The Lean Process Engineer designs, improves, and sustains manufacturing processes that drive safety, quality, delivery, and operational excellence. This role partners with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, and Production to develop standardized work, optimize production flow, eliminate waste, improve productivity, and ensure repeatable manufacturing processes for defense and commercial products.

Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and continuously improve manufacturing processes for fabrication, machining, welding, assembly, powder coating, inspection, and packaging operations.
• Design manufacturing workflows that improve safety, quality, productivity, and throughput.
• Establish standardized work instructions, visual work aids, and process documentation.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) by developing manufacturing methods and production processes.
• Participate in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews with Engineering.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives utilizing methodologies including: 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Visual Management, Waste Elimination, Error Proofing (Poka-Yoke), Root Cause Analysis, and Identify and eliminate non-value-added activities.
• Improve process flow and reduce cycle time through continuous improvement initiatives.
• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events and process improvement workshops.
• Measure and report operational performance using established KPIs.
• Validate new and revised manufacturing processes in lockstep with production breakpoints.
• Conduct process capability studies where applicable.
• Develop and implement process controls to ensure repeatable manufacturing performance.
• Support production readiness reviews for new equipment and manufacturing cells.
• Partner with Quality Engineering to reduce internal defects and customer escapes.
• Analyze production data to identify recurring quality issues.
• Support corrective and preventive action activities through the NCR process.
• Develop process improvements that reduce variation and improve product consistency.
• Develop and maintain: manufacturing work instructions, standard work, process flow diagrams, visual controls, manufacturing routes, and manufacturing process maps.
• Ensure documentation accurately reflects current production methods.
• Support document revisions resulting from engineering changes and process improvements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or continuous improvement experience.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, motorsports, or other high-mix/low-volume manufacturing environments.
• Experience in fabrication, machining, welding, assembly, or industrial manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting automated manufacturing or robotic welding cells.
• Green Belt or Black Belt certification in Lean Six Sigma.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, or other regulated quality management systems.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or continuous improvement experience.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, motorsports, or other high-mix/low-volume manufacturing environments.
• Experience in fabrication, machining, welding, assembly, or industrial manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing principles.