Manufacturing Engineer

Manufacturing Engineer (Level II)

The Manufacturing Engineer plays a key role in taking full ownership of manufacturing activities, leading products through prototype, pilot, and full production builds. This position focuses on improving manufacturing processes, implementing customer and internal changes, driving quality and continuous improvement initiatives, and supporting new product and business development. At Level II, the role expands to include design for manufacturability, design for testability, and execution of transitional manufacturing requirements, while building deep product knowledge to support successful launches and ongoing production.

Responsibilities

• Take full manufacturing responsibility for assigned products, leading them through prototype, pilot, and production builds while ensuring smooth transitions between each phase.
• Oversee the implementation of customer documentation changes and internal change orders, ensuring accurate and timely updates to manufacturing processes and work instructions.
• Report on the status of new product introduction (NPI/NPL) activities, providing clear updates on progress, risks, and required actions.
• Use statistical tools to lead quality improvement initiatives within the customer team, analyzing data to identify trends and implement corrective measures.
• Drive internal and external corrective action plans, coordinating with cross-functional teams to address manufacturing and quality issues effectively.
• Actively participate in new customer development and new business development, providing manufacturing engineering input to support proposals and product feasibility.
• Analyze line return information to understand root causes of manufacturing process issues and drive appropriate corrective actions.
• Perform product-level support and troubleshooting as required to maintain stable and efficient production operations.
• Perform design for manufacturability (DFM) reviews and collaborate with Test Engineering on design for testability (DFT) to ensure products are optimized for efficient production and testing.
• Assist in developing project proposals and associated cost estimates, contributing manufacturing process insights and resource requirements.
• Execute transitional manufacturing requirements and process approaches for new or modified products, ensuring robust processes are established for long-term production.
• Develop in-depth knowledge of customer products as required to support transitional activities and ongoing manufacturing support.
• Document and solve moderately complex cross-departmental and cross-functional issues using structured problem-solving tools.
• Prepare and deliver clear written documentation and presentations for internal stakeholders and external customers, communicating technical information and project status.
• Collaborate with diverse internal and external groups, demonstrating effective interpersonal skills and strong customer focus.
• Manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively, taking on additional responsibilities as needed while maintaining high attention to detail.
• Work with minimal supervision, exercising discretion, independent judgment, and professionalism in day-to-day decision-making.
• Apply continuous improvement tools and lean manufacturing principles to enhance manufacturing processes, productivity, and quality.
• Support process engineering, assembly, design, and work instruction development to ensure efficient and repeatable manufacturing operations.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience as a manufacturing engineer in a production setting.
• Demonstrated ability to solve and document moderately complex cross-departmental and cross-functional issues using structured problem-solving tools.
• Engineering-level understanding of electronic components, circuits, and systems or mechanical components and systems, depending on education and experience.
• Hands-on experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, and manufacturing process development and optimization.
• Strong experience in continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies, including lean Six Sigma practices.
• Experience with process improvement, project management, assembly processes, design considerations, and development of work instructions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear documentation and present information to internal and external customers.
• Effective interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse groups across functions and disciplines.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and guidance, exercising discretion, independent judgment, and professionalism.
• Strong customer service orientation and client focus, supporting both internal stakeholders and external customers.
• Working knowledge of productivity tools, including Microsoft Office products and WebEx conferencing software.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Effective multitasking skills and the ability to take on additional responsibilities as required while maintaining quality and deadlines.
• Strong organization and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and activities simultaneously.
• High attention to detail in documentation, analysis, and execution of manufacturing tasks.
• Understanding of and ability to use continuous improvement tools to drive efficiency, quality, and cost reduction.
• Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information and customer data.
• Proven ability to document and solve moderate to complex cross-functional challenges using structured problem-solving tools.
• Experience working in environments involving medical devices or similarly regulated products is beneficial.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with test engineering and design teams on design for manufacturability and design for testability.
• Comfort with presenting technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Work Environment

This role is based in Rochester, MN, within a production-focused manufacturing environment. The position involves close collaboration with engineering, quality, test, and operations teams, supporting products as they move from prototype through pilot and into full-scale production. The work environment emphasizes continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and structured problem solving, with regular use of productivity tools such as Microsoft Office and WebEx for documentation, analysis, and communication. The engineer spends time both in office settings for planning, reporting, and design reviews, and on the production floor to observe processes, implement changes, and support troubleshooting activities. The culture supports professional judgment, independent work, and cross-functional collaboration, with a strong focus on customer service, quality, and efficient manufacturing processes.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Rochester, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $55.00/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 fully onsite position in Rochester, MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 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.

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