Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

The Manufacturing Engineer plays a key role in optimizing production processes, layouts, and documentation to ensure efficient, reliable, and high-quality manufacturing. This role focuses on analyzing workflows, designing equipment and workspace layouts, developing work instructions and bills of materials, and supporting production teams through hands-on troubleshooting and continuous process improvement.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and plan workforce utilization, space requirements, and workflow to improve manufacturing efficiency and throughput.
• Design layouts for equipment and workspaces to maximize safety, productivity, and ease of operation.
• Estimate production times, staffing requirements, and related costs to support informed management decisions.
• Develop and maintain clear, accurate work instructions and manufacturing documentation for production teams.
• Create, review, and manage bills of materials to ensure accurate component usage and alignment with engineering designs.
• Communicate manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and other production-related information to facilitate smooth operations.
• Support production workers by troubleshooting electrical and electro-mechanical components and resolving manufacturing issues on the shop floor.
• Evaluate products against specifications and quality standards and recommend corrective actions when issues arise.
• Identify root causes of production problems and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve reliability and quality.
• Collaborate with vendors and suppliers to determine product specifications and arrange equipment, material, and parts purchases.
• Manage vendor and supplier relationships to ensure timely delivery of materials and components that meet production needs.
• Drive process improvement initiatives using lean manufacturing principles to reduce waste and improve productivity.
• Work closely with engineering, assembly, and manufacturing teams to refine processes and tooling for new and existing products.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of manufacturing processes, production capacity, and schedules.
• Participate in cross-functional collaboration with electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to resolve issues and improve product performance.

Essential Skills

• 2–5 years of experience as a Manufacturing Engineer, including responsibility for work instructions and bills of materials.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex production issues involving electrical and electro-mechanical components.
• Experience handling complex issues and problems for production, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production workflows, and production capacity planning.
• Proficiency in developing and maintaining work instructions and manufacturing documentation.
• Hands-on experience with bills of materials and configuration of components for manufacturing.
• Ability to support production workers directly on the shop floor through practical troubleshooting and guidance.
• Experience with process improvement and lean manufacturing methodologies.
• Knowledge of tooling, assembly processes, and manufacturing process optimization.
• Familiarity with electrical engineering concepts, electrical assembly, and electrical troubleshooting in a manufacturing context.
• Capability to manage and coordinate with vendors and suppliers to support production needs.
• Strong communication skills to convey manufacturing capabilities, schedules, and technical information to stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams with engineering, manufacturing, and quality functions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working with electro-mechanical assemblies and systems.
• Experience in supplier and vendor management within a manufacturing environment.
• Exposure to mission-critical power systems in marine, industrial, or mobile applications.
• Comfort working in small, technical teams with high visibility and direct impact on products.
• Interest in hands-on, end-to-end engineering from design through manufacturing and deployment.
• Understanding of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement practices.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced but practical environment focused on building and shipping real products.
• Strong problem-solving mindset and willingness to take ownership of production issues.

Work Environment

This role is based in an on-site, hands-on environment where engineering, test, and manufacturing are in close proximity, enabling quick collaboration and fast decision-making. The setting is lab- and shop-heavy, ideal for individuals who prefer building, testing, and troubleshooting rather than working exclusively at a desk. The pace is fast but practical, with a strong focus on getting real products built and shipped to customers. You will work in tight-knit, small technical teams with direct access to leadership and decision-makers, and you will collaborate closely across electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and quality. The company offers a stable environment with a strong customer base, consistent demand, competitive compensation, solid benefits, and long-term growth opportunities in power and energy technology.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Costa Mesa, CA.

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $50.00/hr.

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)

This is a fully onsite position in Costa Mesa,CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 9, 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 ziprecruiter.com 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.