Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Eleven Recruiting is searching for a Manufacturing Engineer III for a leading aerospace and defense manufacturer in Corona, CA specializing in large-part forming and precision CNC machining. The Manufacturing Engineer III will provide hands-on technical ownership across metallic fabrication, machining, and assembly operations — from early process definition and tooling development through production execution and continuous improvement. This role is embedded in the shop floor environment and serves as a key bridge between engineering and operations, ensuring quality is built into the product at every stage of manufacture.

Responsibilities

• Support programs, products, and engineering activities including Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews.
• Validate and monitor fabrication and production processes, controls, and in-process verification methods.
• Design, develop, and implement fixtures, tooling, and inspection gages to facilitate fabrication and assembly.
• Generate, track, and maintain bills of materials (BOMs), methods of manufacture, work instructions, and build packages.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing plans, control plans, and PFMEAs aligned with aerospace quality requirements.
• Support material and resource planning; coordinate with the Product team to maintain schedule adherence.
• Review and modify processes for improved flow, cycle time reduction, and cost efficiency.
• Assist with manufacturing workflow planning and space utilization.
• Partner with Operations to support daily production, troubleshoot technical issues, and drive real-time problem resolution on the shop floor.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering to influence part design for manufacturability and machining feasibility.
• Support prototype builds and evaluate new materials and processes.
• Solve technical problems using engineering reference materials, inspection tools, and hands-on analysis.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on scrap reduction, first-pass yield, and process capability.
• Utilize ERP systems (Epicor) for production planning, BOM management, and workflow tracking.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Materials, or related Engineering discipline.
• 5 years of experience in a manufacturing or process engineering role within a metallic fabrication or precision machining environment.
• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret engineering blueprints, drawings, and GD&T callouts, and translate them into actionable manufacturing processes, work instructions, and production-ready build packages.
• Hands-on experience developing and owning the full part lifecycle from raw material and print to first article and production release.
• Working knowledge of machining processes, tooling selection, speeds and feeds, fixturing, and in-process inspection methods.
• Familiarity with metallic material properties, forming behavior, and how material selection influences process definition and part performance.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, specifically Epicor, for BOM management, production planning, and workflow tracking.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot process issues on the shop floor in real time.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; comfortable working across engineering, operations, and quality functions.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen; legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship required.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing environments.
• Background in metal forming, shear forming, or thermally influenced production processes.
• Experience supporting process qualification, first article inspection, and AS9100 quality system requirements.
• Experience scaling developmental or low-rate processes into stable, higher-rate production.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience (certification a plus).
  
  

Salary: $135,000 - $165,000