Manufacturing Engineer

About Ashore Manufacturing

Ashore Manufacturing Group is a tool and die and precision machining shop in Berlin Center, Ohio. We build new tooling, repair existing dies, and produce custom machined parts for automotive, industrial, defense, and government customers. Our 9,600 square foot floor runs CNC milling, 5-axis mill/turn, wire EDM in a dedicated atmospheric room, metal stamping, surface grinding, and conventional machining.

We are growing fast. We already serve Fortune 500 manufacturers and publicly traded companies in our commercial and industrial work, and we are now entering government contracting on top of that base. Over the next year we are formalizing our quality system, pursuing ISO 9001 and then AS9100 and Nadcap, and taking on larger and more complex prime and government contracts. This role exists because that growth has outpaced our current team, and we need a dedicated engineer to help us scale the right way.

Role Summary

This is a high-impact, hands-on engineering role for someone who can operate across quoting, project management, quality systems, and new program development. On the quoting side, the administrative load is already handled: our technical manager cues up job templates and keeps track of material orders. What we need from you is engineering judgment, reviewing incoming work for feasibility and helping us work out how to manufacture the increasingly complex and large jobs we are winning, and eventually complete subsystems. You will also step into the role of Quality Manager, taking ownership of our quality system from our Production Manager as we build it out and certify it.

Roughly half your time will go to quoting and project management, about a third to standing up and maintaining our ISO 9001 quality system, and the remainder to launching federally funded R&D projects. The mix will shift as the business grows and our certifications come online.

What You'll Do

Quoting and Project Management (about 50%)

You will own the engineering side of quoting and project management for larger and more complex jobs. The admin work is not the job: our technical manager cues up job templates and tracks material orders, and we use AI-assisted tools for first-pass estimates of machining time and material. Your job is the part that requires a real engineer. You will analyze customer prints, STEP files, and CAD models to determine whether we can make the part, how we should make it, what it will take to hold the tolerances, and how the job should be run from purchase order to shipment.

• Review incoming RFQs, drawings, specifications, STEP files, and CAD models for manufacturability and feasibility before we commit to a quote

• Define the manufacturing approach for complex and large parts, including process sequence, machining strategy, fixturing, tooling, and inspection requirements, and work with the technical manager on execution

• Sanity-check AI-generated time and material estimates against your own engineering judgment and the realities of our floor

• Help us build the capability to take on increasingly complex work, including complete subsystems and assemblies rather than individual parts alone

• Keep jobs on schedule inside Ashore's fully digital workflow, where every job is tracked from quote through production, inspection, and delivery

• Serve as the communication bridge between the shop floor and the customer on specifications and requirements

• Interface directly with primes and government customers on larger, more complicated contracts as they come online

ISO and Quality Systems (about 30%)

You will become our Quality Manager, taking ownership of quality from our Production Manager so he can focus on running the floor. That means building and implementing the policies behind our quality management system and then owning it going forward. We are targeting ISO 9001 certification by Thanksgiving, followed by AS9100 and Nadcap.

• Write and implement quality policies, work instructions, and production and quality procedures

• Stand up production and quality systems on the floor and keep documentation current

• Oversee inspection, including CMM programming and operation, calibration and gauge control, and the inspection reports and first article documentation our customers require

• Update and adapt these systems as we bring on new machines and new people

• Support the later push toward AS9100 and Nadcap accreditation

SBIR / STTR and Federal R&D (about 20%)

You will help drive our federal R&D grant pipeline, pursuing non-dilutive SBIR and STTR funding. This is topic-driven and deadline-sensitive.

• Screen monthly Department of War SBIR/STTR topic releases against our concept pipeline, shortlist matches, and contact technical points of contact before deadlines close

• Pursue NSF Project Pitches and, over time, NASA and DLA topics that map to our tooling and machining strengths

• Support proposal development: technical narratives, work plans, budgets, and required work-share splits

• Manage federal registrations that gate proposals (SBIR.gov, DSIP, SPRS / NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment)

• Coordinate our STTR partnership with Youngstown State / YAMIC, including allocation-of-rights paperwork

• Move awarded projects into execution using our shop floor as the research testbed

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience in a machining or tool and die environment

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T, and to work comfortably with STEP files and 3D CAD models

• Familiarity with machining processes such as CNC milling, turning, wire EDM, and grinding

• Familiarity with CMMs and other inspection equipment, and the ability to turn inspection results back into process improvements

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple jobs and deadlines

• Comfort working in a digital-first shop with modern technical workstations and software-driven job tracking

• Clear, professional communication skills for working with customers, primes, and government contacts

• Comfort working directly on the shop floor as well as at a desk

Nice to Have

• Experience with ISO 9001, AS9100, or Nadcap implementation

• Exposure to defense or government contracting, including DFARS, ITAR, or CMMC requirements

• Experience with SBIR/STTR proposals or other government-funded R&D

• CAD proficiency (we run AutoCAD workstations)

• Estimating or quoting experience in a job shop or custom manufacturing setting

• Hands-on CMM programming experience

Why Join Us

You will have real ownership and a direct line to the owners. This is a chance to build systems from the ground up, shape how a growing shop scales, and get in early on defense and government work as we pursue our certifications. If you want visible impact rather than a narrow slot in a large organization, this is that role.

Details

Full-Time | On-Site | Berlin Center, Ohio | Reports to Co-CEOs

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

What We Offer

• Health, dental, and vision insurance fully covered

• Paid time off and paid holidays

• Performance-based bonus and profit sharing opportunities

• Direct access to ownership and a real voice in how the shop grows

Eligibility

Because this role supports defense and government work subject to ITAR, candidates must be U.S. persons as defined under 22 CFR 120.62 (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or otherwise qualifying protected individuals).

Equal Opportunity

Ashore Manufacturing Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business and an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

How to Apply

Please send an email with a resume to View email address on click.appcast.io, and also apply here on LinkedIn to indicate your interest.