Job Description: Manufacturing Engineer
This Manufacturing Engineer role focuses on owning and optimizing production line performance in a high-growth, technically sophisticated manufacturing environment. You will spend significant time on the shop floor, reviewing daily output, resolving issues proactively, and driving continuous improvement across processes, equipment, and workflow. The position combines hands-on process engineering, data-driven analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure that production lines operate reliably, efficiently, and in alignment with customer and program requirements.
Responsibilities
Review production output from the previous day and develop clear, actionable plans to address performance gaps, quality issues, and process bottlenecks.
Spend substantial time on the shop floor to observe operations, engage with production teams, and address issues proactively before they escalate.
Take ownership of line performance by understanding what the line can reliably produce, ensuring that capacity is maximized, and determining the labor and resources required for optimal output.
Understand the product's form, fit, and function, and use this knowledge to assist production, maintenance, and quality teams in debugging and stabilizing production processes.
Prepare and revise Process Flow Diagrams, operation sheets, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure accurate, up-to-date documentation of manufacturing processes.
Monitor and analyze production processes to improve performance, increase efficiency, and reduce reject and scrap rates.
Support the resolution of technical issues on the production floor and report on current technical issues and their status during weekly meetings and management reviews.
Lead failure analysis efforts related to production issues, performance problems, and critical product characteristics, and drive corrective and preventive actions.
Generate Requests for Process Change and manage them through the full approval process to ensure controlled implementation of process modifications.
Generate Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) and Requests for Variance (RFVs) as needed to support changes in design, process, or configuration.
Serve as the primary internal technical point of contact for assigned programs, ensuring clear communication and coordination across stakeholders.
Support configuration control of Technical Data Packages associated with manufactured products, maintaining alignment between design, documentation, and production.
Define process control requirements for production processes, including Statistical Process Control (SPC), to ensure consistent product quality and performance.
Participate in risk assessments for production operations, identifying potential failure modes and mitigation strategies.
Participate in Build Readiness Reviews (BRRs), Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs), and Production Readiness Reviews (PRRs) to ensure processes, equipment, and documentation are ready for production and testing.
Support line setup activities, including layout design, material flow, equipment placement, and storage strategies to optimize efficiency and ergonomics.
Request and issue SWO (Shop Work Order) numbers as needed to support production activities and process changes.
Build and analyze test samples to understand design margin, process capability, and variation in product performance.
Create and lead Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Process FMEA (PFMEA) for assigned programs to identify and mitigate process risks.
Build pre-FAAT, pilot, and engineering test samples to support new product introductions and process validation.
Support customer technical requests and questions, and communicate the resulting impact on production processes and performance to internal teams.
Support and assist Quality and Purchasing in resolving supplier-related issues that affect product quality or process stability.
Collaborate regularly with inspectors, manufacturing teams, and supplier quality engineering (SQE) to maintain robust quality and process standards.
Coordinate closely with tooling, operations, quality, and shop floor teams within assigned project teams to ensure aligned execution and continuous improvement.
Manage up to multiple programs across various production lines, balancing high-volume, high-priority lines with lower-volume programs as needed.
Essential Skills
At least 2 years of experience in manufacturing engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
Experience working on a shop floor in a production or manufacturing environment.
Hands-on experience with manufacturing engineering, including process definition, optimization, and troubleshooting.
Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives in a manufacturing setting.
Experience in process engineering and manufacturing process development and optimization.
Experience supporting new product launch activities in a production environment.
Proficiency in process improvement methodologies such as Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Kaizen.
Ability to perform value stream mapping and process audits to identify waste and improvement opportunities.
Strong skills in root cause analysis and failure analysis for production and performance issues.
Experience with PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and risk assessment for manufacturing processes.
Familiarity with Statistical Process Control (SPC) and defining process control requirements.
Experience with assembly and automation processes in a manufacturing environment.
Ability to create and maintain Process Flow Diagrams, operation sheets, and SOPs.
Proficiency with data analysis tools such as Minitab or similar statistical software.
Experience working with tooling and understanding tooling requirements for production processes.
Strong communication skills to serve as the main technical point of contact for assigned programs and to support customer technical inquiries.
Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams including operations, quality, tooling, purchasing, and supplier quality.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience with new product launch in a high-mix or complex manufacturing environment.
Experience in continuous improvement programs using Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen methodologies.
Experience conducting and leading PFMEA sessions for new and existing processes.
Familiarity with generating and managing Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) and Requests for Variance (RFVs).
Experience participating in Build Readiness Reviews (BRR), Test Readiness Reviews (TRR), and Production Readiness Reviews (PRR).
Exposure to configuration control of Technical Data Packages and document control practices.
Experience building pre-FAAT, pilot, and engineering test samples to support validation and qualification activities.
Comfort working on complex, technically advanced products that may incorporate cutting-edge technologies.
Interest in working on specialized training rounds and related products in a highly regulated industry.
Desire to grow with a team that is expanding and adding new programs and capabilities.
Ability to manage multiple programs and prioritize work across different production lines.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Janesville, WI.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $75000.00 - $95000.00/yr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Health and other full benefits package are offered through company.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Janesville,WI.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 16, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
