Manufacturing Engineering, Assembly

Job Description MANUFACTURING ENGINEER — FINISHING / ASSEMBLY

Light Composites, Inc.
Composites Engineering Manager
Full-time, Monday–Friday
Floor Assignment:
About Light Composites
Light Composites is a growing carbon fiber composites manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, medical device, and industrial markets. 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.

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
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
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); 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; Assist during internal and external quality audits
Work with the Quality Engineer to develop and update in-process inspection plans
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
• Experience with composite finishing (trimming, sanding, filling, painting)

MRP/ERP experience (MRPeasy, SAP, or similar)
Familiarity with lean manufacturing or continuous improvement
Bilingual English/Spanish — strong plus given our team composition

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

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
~PTO and paid holidays

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

MANUFACTURING ENGINEER — LAMINATION / KIT-CUT

Light Composites, Inc.
Composites Engineering Manager
Full-time, Monday–Friday
Floor Assignment:
About Light Composites
Light Composites is a growing carbon fiber composites manufacturer serving defense, aerospace, medical device, and industrial markets. We are hiring a Manufacturing Engineer to be embedded in our Lamination and Kit/Cut departments — the upstream heart of our composites manufacturing process. Kit/Cut prepares all material kits and cuts prepreg plies. 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
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
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); 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; Assist during internal and external quality audits
Work with the Quality Engineer to develop and update in-process inspection plans
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
• 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

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

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
~PTO and paid holidays