Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

MANUFACTURING ENGINEER — FINISHING / ASSEMBLY

Company:

Light Composites, Inc.

Reports to:

Composites Engineering Manager

Compensation:

$70,000 – $85,000 salary + benefits

Schedule:

Full-time, Monday–Friday

Floor Assignment:

Finishing and Bonding/Assembly departments

About Light Composites

Light Composites is a growing carbon fiber composites manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, medical device, and industrial markets. We are AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified. ~50-person team.

The Role

We are hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to be embedded in our Finishing and Bonding/Assembly departments — the downstream operations that turn cured composite parts into finished, inspected assemblies ready to ship. You’ll work alongside senior engineers and directly with operators to improve finishing processes, reduce rework, and streamline assembly workflows.

Finishing is our second-largest department (12 people) handling trimming, sanding, filling, painting, and cosmetic work. Bonding/Assembly (5 people) handles structural adhesive bonding, mechanical assembly, and sub-assembly operations.

Essential Responsibilities

Process & Tooling

• Process improvement — Observe finishing and assembly processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement changes that reduce cycle times and rework
• Fixture development — Design and build trim fixtures, sanding jigs, bonding fixtures, and assembly aids using Fusion 360
• Rework reduction — Track and analyze rework sources, implement process changes to improve first-pass yield
• Work instruction support — Create clear process documentation for finishing sequences, bonding procedures, and assembly steps
• Floor support — Be the first responder when finishers or assemblers hit a process issue
• Operator training — Train finishers and assemblers on new or updated work instructions, tooling, and process changes
• Cycle time analysis — Track cycle times by program/operation, identify outliers, and drive improvements
• New program introduction — Lead first-run builds for new programs; translate customer requirements into finishing sequences, bonding procedures, and assembly work instructions before production begins
• Tooling and fixture maintenance — Own the condition of finishing and bonding tooling (trim fixtures, bonding jigs, assembly aids); track wear and coordinate repairs or replacements
• Process validation — Run qualification builds when introducing new materials, processes, or significant process changes; document results and sign off before full production release
• Estimating support — Provide accurate cycle time estimates for new programs and engineering changes to support quoting

Quality & Compliance

• Inspection spec development — Define inspection criteria, tolerances, and methods for finishing and assembly operations in our digital inspection system
• NCR disposition — Own real-time disposition decisions (use-as-is, rework, scrap) for nonconforming parts coming out of your departments; don’t wait for a CAPA — act on the floor
• AS9100D/ISO 9001 compliance — Support and maintain quality requirements within your departments
• Root cause analysis & CAPAs — Lead root cause investigations for recurring defects; own corrective actions through closure
• Assist during internal and external quality audits

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Coordinate with upstream departments (Cure, Machining) and with Lamination to resolve process issues at handoff points
• Work with the Quality Engineer to develop and update in-process inspection plans
• Use MRPeasy ERP to track work orders, log cycle times, and communicate job status

Requirements

• 2+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, or relevant engineering degree with internship/co-op
• CAD proficiency (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or equivalent) — you will be designing tooling and fixtures
• Shop-floor engineering role — must be on the floor, not at a desk
• Ability to read engineering drawings
• Working knowledge of quality management systems (AS9100, ISO 9001)
• MRP ownership — maintain routings, cycle times, and BOMs in MRPeasy in coordination with the GM and Production Manager
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

Preferred

• Experience with composite finishing (trimming, sanding, filling, painting)
• Experience with structural adhesive bonding
• MRP/ERP experience (MRPeasy, SAP, or similar)
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing or continuous improvement
• Bilingual English/Spanish — strong plus given our team composition

Why This Role Exists

Right now, most of the process knowledge in Finishing and Bonding/Assembly lives in our operators’ heads. That’s a risk to quality, throughput, and our ability to scale. This role creates dedicated engineering ownership of those departments — someone responsible for capturing that knowledge, turning it into documented processes, and continuously improving how we work. If you want to own something meaningful and make a visible impact quickly, this is it.

Growth Path

Work alongside an experienced Composites Engineering Manager and Senior ME with direct mentorship. Light Composites is growing rapidly with significant room for advancement.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• PTO and paid holidays

--- ---- ---- ----

MANUFACTURING ENGINEER — LAMINATION / KIT-CUT

Company:

Light Composites, Inc.

Reports to:

Composites Engineering Manager

Compensation:

$70,000 – $85,000 salary + benefits

Schedule:

Full-time, Monday–Friday

Floor Assignment:

Lamination and Kit/Cut departments

About Light Composites

Light Composites is a growing carbon fiber composites manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, medical device, and industrial markets. We are AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified. ~50-person team.

The Role

We are hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to be embedded in our Lamination and Kit/Cut departments — the upstream heart of our composites manufacturing process. You’ll work alongside senior engineers and directly with operators to streamline workflows, reduce cycle times, improve first-pass yield, and reduce scrap.

Lamination is our largest department (12 people) running layups across 29 programs daily. Kit/Cut prepares all material kits and cuts prepreg plies. These departments set the pace for everything downstream.

Essential Responsibilities

Process & Tooling

• Process improvement — Observe layup and kitting processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement changes that reduce cycle times and improve repeatability
• Layup aids and templates — Design and build ply templates, layup guides, and kitting aids (Fusion 360) that reduce operator error and speed up production
• Scrap reduction — Track and analyze scrap sources, implement process changes to improve first-pass yield
• Work instruction support — Create clear, operator-friendly process documentation for layup sequences and kitting procedures
• Floor support — Be the first responder when laminators or kit cutters hit a process issue
• Operator training — Train laminators and kit cutters on new or updated work instructions, tooling, and process changes
• Cycle time analysis — Track cycle times by program/operation, identify outliers, and drive improvements
• New program introduction — Lead first-run builds for new programs; translate customer drawings into layup sequences, kitting plans, and work instructions before production begins
• Tooling and mold care — Own the condition of lamination tooling (molds, caul plates, mandrels); track wear, flag damage, and coordinate repairs or replacements
• Process validation — Run qualification builds when introducing new materials, processes, or significant process changes; document results and sign off before full production release
• Estimating support — Provide accurate cycle time estimates for new programs and engineering changes to support quoting

Quality & Compliance

• Inspection spec development — Define inspection criteria, tolerances, and methods for lamination and kit/cut operations in our digital inspection system
• NCR disposition — Own real-time disposition decisions (use-as-is, rework, scrap) for nonconforming parts coming out of your departments; don’t wait for a CAPA — act on the floor
• AS9100D/ISO 9001 compliance — Support and maintain quality requirements within your departments
• Root cause analysis & CAPAs — Lead root cause investigations for recurring defects; own corrective actions through closure
• Assist during internal and external quality audits

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Coordinate with downstream departments (Cure, Finishing, Machining) to resolve process issues at handoff points
• Work with the Quality Engineer to develop and update in-process inspection plans
• Use MRPeasy ERP to track work orders, log cycle times, and communicate job status

Requirements

• 2+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, or relevant engineering degree with internship/co-op
• CAD proficiency (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or equivalent) — you will be designing tooling and fixtures
• Shop-floor engineering role — must be on the floor, not at a desk
• Ability to read engineering drawings
• Working knowledge of quality management systems (AS9100, ISO 9001)
• MRP ownership — maintain routings, cycle times, and BOMs in MRPeasy in coordination with the GM and Production Manager
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

Preferred

• Experience with composite materials (prepreg layup, ply cutting, autoclave/oven cure)
• Familiarity with Eastman or similar automated kit cutting equipment
• MRP/ERP experience (MRPeasy, SAP, or similar)
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing or continuous improvement
• Bilingual English/Spanish — strong plus given our team composition

Why This Role Exists

Right now, most of the process knowledge in Lamination and Kit/Cut lives in our operators’ heads. That’s a risk to quality, throughput, and our ability to scale. This role creates dedicated engineering ownership of those departments — someone responsible for capturing that knowledge, turning it into documented processes, and continuously improving how we work. If you want to own something meaningful and make a visible impact quickly, this is it.

Growth Path

Work alongside an experienced Composites Engineering Manager and Senior ME with direct mentorship. Light Composites is growing rapidly with significant room for advancement.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• PTO and paid holidays