Manufacturing Engineer - 1st Shift

Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Milwaukee, WI
Schedule: Monday-Friday | 5:15 AM - 3:00 PM
Compensation: $90,000-$100,000/year (flexible based on experience)
Employment Type: Direct Hire

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

This is not a desk-only engineering role. The Manufacturing Engineer will spend the majority of their time directly on the production floor working alongside operators, maintenance, and operations leadership to improve manufacturing processes, troubleshoot issues, and drive measurable operational improvements.

This opportunity is with a financially stable, employee-owned (ESOP) manufacturing organization that continues to invest heavily in equipment, automation, people, and long-term growth. Employees here have a direct stake in the company's success, creating a highly collaborative and ownership-driven culture focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Position Overview

The Manufacturing Engineer will play a key role in improving Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) across manufacturing operations. This position is highly hands-on and focused on building quality and consistency directly into processes and equipment rather than relying heavily on operator intervention.

Roughly one-third of the role will focus on quality and process reliability, including troubleshooting recurring production and mechanical issues, improving process controls, and reducing operator dependency through sustainable manufacturing improvements. Another major portion of the role will involve supporting capital equipment projects, equipment research, automation initiatives, ROI analysis, and partnering closely with value stream managers on operational improvements. The remaining portion of the role centers around day-to-day continuous improvement initiatives including SOP development, process standardization, workflow optimization, and automation/process improvement projects.

This person will work cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and vendors to improve manufacturing performance, increase process stability, and support long-term operational growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on engineering support directly on the manufacturing floor
• Troubleshoot recurring production, mechanical, and process-related issues
• Build quality and consistency into manufacturing processes and equipment
• Identify bottlenecks and implement sustainable process improvements
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives tied to SQDC metrics
• Develop and improve SOPs, work instructions, and standardized processes
• Support equipment research, capital expenditure projects, and ROI analysis
• Partner with value stream managers and production leadership on operational improvements
• Support automation initiatives and manufacturing process optimization
• Coordinate equipment installations, process validations, and startup activities
• Apply root cause analysis and data-driven problem-solving methodologies
• Work closely with operators and maintenance teams to improve process reliability and uptime
• Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives across the facility

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years of Manufacturing, Process, or Continuous Improvement Engineering experience
• Strong hands-on manufacturing floor presence and troubleshooting ability
• Experience improving manufacturing processes, equipment reliability, and operational efficiency
• Experience with CI methodologies, Lean Manufacturing, SQDC, and root cause analysis
• Background supporting automation, equipment implementation, or capital projects preferred
• Ability to create SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience partnering with production teams and leading floor-level improvements
• Mechanical aptitude with strong problem-solving skills
• Experience within industrial manufacturing, custom manufacturing, woodworking, millwork, plastics, metal fabrication, or similar production environments is helpful

Work Environment

This role operates primarily within a manufacturing environment and requires frequent interaction with operators, production leadership, maintenance, and vendors on the shop floor. The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys being highly engaged in day-to-day manufacturing operations and takes ownership of identifying and implementing improvements directly within production.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Long-term career growth opportunities
• Stable, growth-oriented manufacturing environment

About the Company

This organization is a value-added manufacturer focused on delivering high-quality, customized building products. As a 100% employee-owned company, it emphasizes accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and long-term employee success. The company continues to invest heavily in operational growth, process improvements, and modern manufacturing capabilities while maintaining a highly collaborative and people-focused culture.

This is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) organization , where employees share in the success they help create. The company is financially strong and currently on a multi-year growth path, investing in people, equipment, and processes while maintaining long-term stability.

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