Manufacturing Engineer

About us:

Sparx Hockey was founded in 2013 to solve the greatest unmet need in ice skating sports (e.g., hockey and figure skating) - maintaining sharp skates. Today, Sparx is relied upon for high-quality skate sharpening by families, teams, retailers, rinks, and professional skate sharpeners around the world. In addition to Sparx Hockey's exceptional products and record-setting growth, we also pride ourselves on being a fun place to work. Although it's not an employment prerequisite, many of our employees still play, coach, and parent hockey players. We do more than just build great hockey products; we use them ourselves. When we're not working hard or playing hockey our team can be found having a blast at our annual summer outing and impromptu barbecues that fill in the rest of the Sparx annual event calendar. Our global headquarters are in Acton, MA and are home to our R&D, Operations, Marketing, Sales, and Finance teams as well as our production lines and warehouse/distribution center.

The position:

We are seeking a data driven and proactive Manufacturing Engineer to evaluate, design, and continuously improve our production workflows. In this role, you will collaborate with cross functional design and quality teams to scale production, resolve equipment downtime, and integrate automated assembly solutions. Your primary goal is to lower operational overhead while maintaining strict safety and quality compliance.

Responsibilities:

• Workflow Optimization: Design, map, and continuously improve production layouts to maximize workspace efficiency.
• Process Standardization: Author and update detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions.
• Equipment & Tooling: Source, test, install, and troubleshoot automated assembly machinery and specialized tooling.
• Lean Execution: Run Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Kaizen events using Lean Six Sigma to eliminate production waste.
• New Product Introduction: Participate in design reviews to ensure new products are optimized for manufacturability (DFM).
• Quality Assurance: Develop robust testing procedures to minimize component defect rates and material variances.
• Cost Analysis: Calculate labor, material, and cycle-time costs to forecast overhead for future production lines.
• Safety & Compliance: Enforce regular equipment maintenance checks and adhere strictly to regional OSHA regulations.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering.
• Experience: 1-5 years of hands-on experience working directly inside an active industrial production environment is preferred. However, recent graduates with relevant internship or co-op experience will also be considered.
• Software Skills: Proficiency in CAD systems (e.g., SolidWorks) and manufacturing execution data tools.
• Methodologies: Understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles, 5S frameworks, and statistical process controls (SPC).
• Problem Solving: Proven track record diagnosing equipment errors and implementing corrective actions under tight schedules.

Extra Credit:

• Experience with hockey – either as a player, coach, or parent

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with employer match
• Generous PTO