Manufacturing Engineer

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

The Manufacturing Engineer supports capital projects, drives equipment reliability and performance, and leads continuous improvement initiatives within a manufacturing environment. This role provides technical support to operations and maintenance teams, ensures safe and compliant engineering solutions, and uses data-driven analysis to enhance throughput, efficiency, and overall equipment effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning, execution, and commissioning of manufacturing equipment and capital improvement projects.

• Coordinate activities with equipment suppliers, contractors, and internal stakeholders to ensure successful project delivery.

• Track project scope, timelines, budgets, and deliverables to maintain project control and transparency.

• Participate in factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) to verify equipment performance and compliance.

• Analyze equipment downtime and identify opportunities to improve reliability, throughput, and efficiency.

• Conduct root cause analyses and implement corrective actions to address equipment and process issues.

• Support preventive and predictive maintenance initiatives to reduce unplanned downtime and extend equipment life.

• Assist in developing equipment standards and maintenance best practices to promote consistency and reliability.

• Analyze production and downtime data to identify opportunities for operational improvements.

• Support Lean Manufacturing, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), waste reduction, and cost improvement projects.

• Lead or participate in kaizen events and process improvement initiatives to optimize manufacturing processes.

• Develop and maintain key performance metrics and project dashboards to monitor progress and performance.

• Provide technical support to Operations and Maintenance teams to resolve equipment and process issues.

• Assist in troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, automated, and packaging equipment problems.

• Support line trials, equipment modifications, and process improvements to enhance product quality and efficiency.

• Ensure engineering changes are properly documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders.

• Ensure engineering projects comply with food safety, quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.

• Participate in risk assessments and machine safety reviews to identify and mitigate hazards.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of safety systems and processes within the manufacturing environment.

Essential Skills

• Manufacturing engineering experience in a production environment.

• Process engineering experience related to manufacturing operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 3+ years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.

• Experience supporting capital projects and manufacturing equipment.

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and make informed decisions.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.

• Experience using project management tools to plan, track, and deliver engineering projects.

• Ability to analyze production and downtime data to identify improvement opportunities.

• Capability to conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in food, beverage, dairy, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.

• Experience with packaging equipment and automated production systems.

• Knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and maintenance planning processes.

• Experience utilizing production, downtime, or manufacturing execution system (MES) data to drive decisions.

• Background in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.

• Experience leading or participating in kaizen events and structured process improvement projects.

Work Environment

The role is based in a manufacturing environment that utilizes automated production and packaging equipment, with a strong focus on reliability, safety, and efficiency. You will work closely with operations, maintenance, and engineering stakeholders on the production floor and in office settings, using tools such as Microsoft Excel, project management software, CMMS, and MES or similar data systems. The environment emphasizes food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance, and supports a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of West Dundee, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $65.00/hr.

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.

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)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in West Dundee,IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 4, 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 View email address on click.appcast.io 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.