Manufacturing Engineering Planning

Manufacturing EngineerThe Manufacturing Engineer develops, reviews, and optimizes manufacturing plans and CNC machining processes for highly complex, tightly regulated products used in applications such as jet engines, aerospace, automotive, and power generation. This role ensures customer specifications and design requirements are accurately translated into robust routings, time standards, and process documentation, while driving continuous improvement on the shop floor and collaborating closely with engineering, manufacturing, tooling, programming, materials, and quality teams.Translate customer specifications, design requirements, and quotation information into clear, accurate manufacturing plans and routings.Develop and review all routings, including decisions on multi-level routings, verifying the sequence of operations, and confirming all dimensional information such as rough/grind stock, tooling, and reference dimensions.Establish time standards for each manufacturing plan that serve as performance measurements, ensuring they align with selling price assumptions or actual historical times and reallocating time standards between operations as needed while maintaining overall cost relationships.Review customer and internal drawings for completeness and accuracy, including grind stock, reference and roll dimensions, and any required metric-to-English conversions (excluding threads).Determine whether prints should be redrawn into internal formats or transformed into detailed operation sheets to support manufacturing and quality processes.Communicate with customers to resolve open technical issues, clarify specifications, and ensure alignment on manufacturing requirements.Review and sign off on internally generated prints and operation sheets to confirm all information is complete, accurate, and that dimensions from previous operations are properly referenced.Ensure all manufacturing plans are reviewed by Quality Planning before releasing jobs to manufacturing, supporting compliance with regulated industry standards.Review customer-generated engineering changes and initiate corresponding updates to manufacturing processes, routings, and documentation as required.Serve as a liaison between Materials, Manufacturing, Engineering, Tooling, and Programming, sharing pertinent information and coordinating activities to support efficient production.Maintain professional and personable relationships with vendors, customers, and employees, responding promptly to their needs while supporting the company's objectives.Support CNC machining operations on the shop floor, including troubleshooting issues such as broken tools, offsets, and tolerance challenges, and providing guidance during setups and prove-outs.Collaborate with machinists to prove out new jobs and first-article runs, ensuring programs run correctly before cutting material and validating part quality and process stability.Create and maintain shop documentation such as setup sheets, tool lists, routers, work instructions, and process guides to ensure consistent and repeatable manufacturing processes.Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing cycle time, improving throughput, and optimizing tooling for better tool life and part performance.Work with tooling vendors to evaluate and implement tooling solutions that enhance machining performance and support complex, high-precision parts.Take ownership of parts from print to production, including reviewing the design, developing the process, programming as applicable, and supporting successful launch into manufacturing.Essential SkillsBachelor's degree in Engineering.At least 5 years of experience working in a heavy industrial fabrication or CNC machining environment.Hands-on experience with CNC machines, including lathes and mills, and associated manufacturing processes.Experience working within regulated markets such as automotive, aerospace, or power generation.Proficiency in developing and reviewing manufacturing routings, including multi-level routings and operation sequences.Strong understanding of dimensional modeling, including rough/grind stock, tooling dimensions, and reference dimensions.Experience establishing and managing time standards for manufacturing operations, including time studies and performance measurement.Design and CAD/CAM experience, with a preference for NX or Mastercam, and openness to other comparable software.Experience in manufacturing engineering, including process development, continuous improvement, and machining.Knowledge of standard operating procedures (SOPs), process control, and documentation in a production environment.Comfort working on the shop floor, supporting setups, troubleshooting machining issues, and collaborating with machinists and programmers.Ability to communicate clearly with cross-functional teams and external customers to resolve technical issues and align on requirements.Additional Skills & QualificationsExperience in aerospace manufacturing or machining environments.Familiarity with advanced CAM software and toolpath development for complex, high-precision parts.Demonstrated success in projects that reduced cycle time, improved throughput, or enhanced tooling performance and tool life.Experience working with tooling vendors to evaluate and implement cutting tool solutions.Exposure to highly regulated industries such as aerospace and power generation, including understanding of quality and compliance expectations.Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to take ownership of parts from print to production.Ability to work effectively as a programmer, machinist, process developer, or in a hybrid role supporting all aspects of CNC manufacturing.Excellent interpersonal skills with a professional, collaborative approach to working with vendors, customers, and internal teams.Work EnvironmentThis role is based at a manufacturing facility in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, specifically in Springdale, OH. The site has approximately 80 employees and a small, growing engineering team, providing close collaboration and significant opportunity for impact and advancement. The position operates on first shift, working on-site five days per week from 7:00 a.m. The environment centers on CNC machining and heavy industrial fabrication for complex, high-precision products used in jet engines and other regulated applications. You will work closely with machinists, engineers, programmers, and tooling specialists, using modern CNC equipment, CAD/CAM tools such as NX or Mastercam, and structured documentation and quality processes. The culture emphasizes growth, technical excellence, and continuous improvement, with strong support for expanding the engineering function and providing long-term career development opportunities.Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract to Hire position based out of Cincinnati, OH.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. 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 TypeThis is a fully onsite position in Cincinnati, OH.Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Sep 11, 2026.About ActalentActalent 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.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.