Manufacturing Engineer

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer Job Description
The Manufacturing Engineer designs, develops, and optimizes manufacturing processes, tooling, and fixtures for new products, product changes, and enhancements, with a strong focus on zero defects, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement. This role provides hands-on engineering support on the production floor, drives process validation and documentation, and collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to ensure products are highly manufacturable and meet quality and regulatory standards.
Responsibilities

• Design and develop manufacturing processes for new products, product changes, and enhancements to achieve zero defects and low product cost.
• Perform research, design, and development of manufacturing processes, including production flow, assembly methods, and production equipment.
• Investigate the benefits and features of capital equipment and prepare capital appropriation justifications.
• Design, develop, test, source, and cost-justify tools, machinery, and equipment required for recommended manufacturing methods.
• Plan and establish sequences of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products, promoting efficient utilization of staff and facilities.
• Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to improve staff and facility utilization.
• Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, materials, and utilities.
• Perform product and process analysis to drive cost reduction, quality improvement, and increased efficiency.
• Create and maintain accurate documentation of concepts, design concepts, tool drawings, manufacturing procedures, materials records, shop orders, and processes.
• Perform process validations (IQ/OQ/PQ) to ensure manufacturing processes meet quality and regulatory requirements.
• Provide engineering support to the production department by troubleshooting and resolving technical problems on the manufacturing floor.
• Support prototype and pilot production of new products, product changes, and enhancements in coordination with Manufacturing and Quality Control.
• Work closely with product development staff to ensure products under development are optimally manufacturable and to resolve manufacturing issues.
• Coordinate work and technical requirements with outside vendors as needed.
• Represent manufacturing on cross-functional teams to support new product introductions and process improvements.
• Coordinate with production on the manufacturing launch of new or revised products, including establishing goals, training team members, and evaluating results.
• Complete accurate and timely preventive maintenance of equipment and tooling.
• Complete accurate and timely manufacturing documentation, including manufacturing procedures and materials records.
• Support company goals, objectives, policies, procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices, and applicable external regulations.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and internal policies throughout manufacturing activities.
• Confirm that all safety procedures and practices are followed on the production floor.
• Provide machine setup support to ensure equipment is properly configured for production runs.
• Suggest and implement process method improvements to enhance efficiency and quality.
• Train employees on manufacturing processes, procedures, equipment, and safety practices.
• Maintain current knowledge of medical, technical, and biomedical developments as they relate to company products and manufacturing methods.
• Contribute to the company's intellectual property position through invention and patent applications.

Essential Skills

• Minimum 5 years of manufacturing engineering experience in a fabrication-focused environment.
• Hands-on experience working with fabrication equipment such as press brakes and laser machines.
• Minimum 5 years of experience with cycle counts and inventory-related processes.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working with MRP systems.
• Minimum 5 years of experience with Lean methodologies, including Kanban and 5S.
• Experience working within ISO 9001-2000 quality management systems.
• Strong background in manufacturing engineering and process engineering.
• Proven ability in continuous improvement and process improvement within a production environment.
• Experience with fabrication and production processes in a high-mix, industrial or vehicle-related environment.
• Ability to design and develop manufacturing processes, tooling, and fixtures for complex products.
• Proficiency in analyzing products and processes for cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency gains.
• Strong documentation skills for concepts, designs, tooling, and manufacturing procedures.
• Ability to perform and document process validations (IQ/OQ/PQ).
• Demonstrated capability to troubleshoot and resolve technical problems on the production floor.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with production teams, quality functions, R&D, and outside vendors.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with Kanban systems for material and workflow management.
• Knowledge of 5S workplace organization and implementation.
• Understanding of ISO 9001-2000 standards and quality system requirements.
• Experience working with MRP systems for planning and scheduling.
• background in manufacturing processes related to industrial seating or components for vehicles such as military vehicles, trucks, buses, trains, off-highway equipment, marine, forklifts, and ambulances.
• Ability to represent manufacturing on cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively across departments.
• Strong communication skills for training team members and documenting processes.
• Ability to prepare capital appropriation justifications for new equipment and tooling.
• Interest in and ability to contribute to intellectual property through inventions and patent-related activities.
• Commitment to safety, Good Manufacturing Practices, and regulatory compliance.

Work Environment
This is a hands-on manufacturing engineering role with substantial involvement on the production floor and close collaboration with multiple teams, including production, quality, and product development. The environment involves working directly with fabrication equipment such as press brakes and laser machines, supporting machine setup, preventive maintenance, and process troubleshooting. The facility produces seating and related components for a wide range of vehicles, including military vehicles, trucks, buses, trains, off-highway equipment, marine applications, forklifts, and ambulances. Team members typically work on-site, with the flexibility to work from home one day per week, enabling a balance between floor presence and focused engineering and documentation work. The culture emphasizes continuous improvement, safety, adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices and ISO 9001-2000 standards, and strong cross-functional collaboration.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Waukesha, WI.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $50.48 - $52.88/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 Waukesha,WI.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 6, 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.


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