Senior Manufacturing Engineer

About the role

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer owns manufacturing engineering activities for assigned products, components, and assemblies throughout the full product lifecycle. This role plays a critical part in supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), production readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives. The engineer bridges the gap between Engineering and Operations, helping transition products from development into repeatable, scalable production environments. This position requires hands-on manufacturing expertise, strong cross-functional leadership, and a passion for solving complex technical and operational challenges while influencing product design, manufacturing strategy, and overall production performance.

Responsibilities

• Own manufacturing engineering execution for assigned products, modules, and assemblies from development through full-rate production.
• Collaborate closely with Design Engineering teams to drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) improvements.
• Support product transitions from prototype and early development builds into repeatable, scalable, full-rate production.
• Develop robust production processes, manufacturing requirements, tooling concepts, and detailed technical work instructions.
• Identify and assess manufacturing risks that may impact production schedules, product quality, cost, and scalability.
• Lead root cause investigations and implement effective corrective actions for manufacturing issues and nonconformances.
• Partner with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Engineering teams to optimize overall manufacturing performance.
• Improve throughput, yield, cycle times, and overall manufacturability through data-driven process improvements.
• Participate in manufacturing trade studies and process selection decisions to ensure optimal manufacturing strategies.
• Serve as the manufacturing representative on Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), providing input on design, schedule, and risk.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multiple projects and programs.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues on the production floor and support operators with technical guidance and problem resolution.
• Drive continuous improvement activities focused on reducing waste, enhancing process capability, and improving product flow.
• Contribute to design reviews by highlighting manufacturability risks, assembly challenges, and opportunities for simplification.
• Support production ramp activities by refining processes, balancing capacity, and ensuring stable, repeatable operations.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience as a Manufacturing Engineer supporting production environments and product lifecycle activities.
• Demonstrated expertise in New Product Introduction (NPI), including process development, production readiness, and ramp support.
• Strong background in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), with the ability to influence design decisions.
• Hands-on experience developing and optimizing manufacturing processes, workflows, and technical work instructions.
• Proficiency in root cause analysis and corrective action implementation for manufacturing issues.
• Track record of improving yield, throughput, and cycle times in a production environment.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Design Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program teams.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience supporting complex mechanical systems and advanced assemblies in a production environment.
• Exposure to manufacturing strategy development, production ramp activities, and operations leadership.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or providing technical leadership within project teams.
• Interest in working with cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and aerospace-grade hardware.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Background in aerospace, propulsion, or defense manufacturing, including exposure to aerospace hardware, propulsion systems, rotating equipment, flight hardware, or defense-related products (highly preferred but not strictly required).
• Experience with advanced manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, precision assembly, welding, additive manufacturing, and post-processing operations.
• Demonstrated involvement in Lean Manufacturing initiatives and continuous improvement projects.
• Experience supporting complex mechanical systems and advanced assemblies in a production environment.
• Exposure to manufacturing strategy development, production ramp activities, and operations leadership.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or providing technical leadership within project teams.
• Interest in working with cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and aerospace-grade hardware.