Manufacturing Engineer in Temple, TX

Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Temple, TX
Travel: Approximately 25%
Experience: 2+ Years
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to drive process improvement, Lean Manufacturing, quality, and operational efficiency within an industrial manufacturing environment. This position will spend significant time on the production floor working directly with operators and cross-functional teams to identify problems, improve processes, and implement sustainable solutions.

The Manufacturing Engineer will evaluate current-state processes, define future-state opportunities, perform gap analyses, and develop project plans to achieve measurable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, capacity, and cost.

Key Responsibilities

• Optimize manufacturing processes through current-state analysis, future-state planning, gap analysis, and project execution.
• Conduct time studies, takt time/cycle time analysis, value stream mapping, capacity analysis, and bottleneck evaluations.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, 5S, continuous improvement, and process optimization initiatives.
• Maintain a strong daily presence on the manufacturing floor to observe work, engage operators, identify issues, and support real-time problem solving.
• Develop and implement Standard Work, work instructions, SOPs, visual documentation, and training materials.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions related to manufacturing and quality issues.
• Apply mistake-proofing/Poka-Yoke principles to improve quality at the source and reduce defects and rework.
• Partner with Production, Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and other functions to implement process improvements.
• Build operator and production-team buy-in when introducing process changes.
• Develop project plans to implement and sustain future-state manufacturing improvements.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, material usage, workflow, and operating costs.
• Evaluate manufacturing equipment and support equipment purchasing, installation, and commissioning.
• Perform audits to ensure work is being completed according to established procedures and standards.
• Support manufacturing capacity improvements and capital planning initiatives.
• Help drive a Lean culture by communicating expectations and supporting employees through process changes.
• Travel to other facilities as needed to support process improvement and Lean initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 2+ years of Manufacturing, Industrial, Process, or related Engineering experience.
• Hands-on experience working directly within a manufacturing or production environment.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement tools such as:
  • Value Stream Mapping
  • 5S
  • Time Studies
  • Takt Time / Cycle Time
  • Standard Work
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Process Improvement
• Strong mechanical aptitude and practical problem-solving skills.
• Ability to identify manufacturing inefficiencies and implement practical solutions.
• Experience developing SOPs, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with production operators, technicians, leadership, and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage improvement projects from identification through implementation and sustainment.
• Comfortable spending a significant portion of the workday on the manufacturing floor.
• Ability to travel approximately 25%.

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