Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Engineer improves the safety, quality, reliability, throughput, and cost performance of Sprecher’s beverage manufacturing operations. This role combines hands-on floor support with disciplined engineering analysis to optimize bottling and canning lines, eliminate recurring losses, and deliver sustainable process improvements. The Manufacturing Engineer partners closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Supply Chain, and equipment vendors to improve equipment capability and develop practical standards that operators and technicians can sustain.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead continuous-improvement projects across bottling, canning, packaging, and related production processes, from problem definition through implementation and verified results.
• Analyze line performance using OEE, throughput, downtime, scrap, yield, changeover time, labor utilization, and quality data; identify the highest-impact constraints and loss drivers.
• Troubleshoot and optimize fillers, rinsers, cappers/crowners, can seamers, labelers, date coders, case packers, tray packers, conveyors, palletizing equipment, and associated controls.
• Improve product and package changeovers through standardized work, with a focus on reducing downtime while protecting quality and food safety.
• Develop, test, and document optimal equipment settings, centerlines, operating parameters, and process controls for bottles, cans, labels, closures, cartons, and other packaging formats.
• Facilitate root-cause analysis using structured methods such as 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, and failure-mode review; implement corrective actions that prevent recurrence.
• Support equipment upgrades, line modifications, automation, and capital projects by defining requirements, evaluating vendors, coordinating installation, and supporting commissioning and acceptance testing.
• Partner with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability, preventive maintenance strategies, spare-parts planning, and maintainability of production assets.
• Work with Quality and Operations to maintain process capability and resolve packaging defects, fill-level variation, seam or closure issues, label defects, leaks, damage, and other nonconformances.
• Create and maintain SOPs, work instructions, visual standards, process maps, layouts, engineering documentation, and training materials; train operators and technicians on improved methods.
• Apply Lean manufacturing principles—including standard work, 5S, visual management, waste elimination, and Kaizen—to build a culture of daily improvement.
• Ensure engineering changes and improvement activities comply with GMPs, food-safety requirements, OSHA expectations, environmental requirements, and company policies.
• Provide responsive floor support during production, trials, new-product introductions, and periods of significant line disruption.
• Track project scope, timelines, savings, and operational results; communicate progress and recommendations clearly to plant and company leadership.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

QualificationsRequired

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Three or more years of manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or continuous-improvement experience in a high-speed production environment.
• Direct experience supporting bottling and/or canning lines in beverage, brewing, food, or a closely related consumer packaged goods operation.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot integrated packaging equipment and solve problems involving mechanical systems, sensors, controls, conveyors, and material flow.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, statistical problem solving, and data-based process improvement.
• Ability to read equipment manuals, technical drawings, process documentation, and basic electrical or control-system information.
• Strong project-management, communication, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and common business applications; ability to analyze production data and present actionable findings.

Preferred

• Experience with carbonated beverages, beer, soda, energy drinks, or other liquid filling and packaging operations.
• Hands-on knowledge of can seam evaluation, filler performance, closure application, labeling, coding, pasteurization, sanitation/CIP, and packaging quality controls.
• Experience with PLC/HMI-based equipment, industrial automation, line controls, or manufacturing data systems.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or demonstrated leadership of measurable Lean/Kaizen projects.
• Experience specifying, installing, commissioning, or validating packaging equipment and capital improvements.