Manufacturing/Process Engineer

Job Title: Manufacturing/Process Engineer

Location: Decorah, Iowa

Salary: $75-95K plus bonus

Job Summary of the Manufacturing/Process Engineer: The Manufacturing/Process Engineer will assist the company in attaining its objectives and mission by creating, maintaining, and enhancing production procedures. This role focuses on process reliability, ongoing enhancement, and capital project aid while collaborating with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to ensure effective, secure, and repeatable production operations.

Job Duties & Responsibilities of the Manufacturing/Process Engineer:

· Monitor process performance and address process problems to back daily production operations.

· Establish, document, and maintain work guidelines, process flows, routings, and standard procedures.

· Analyze production data (scrap, rework, cycle time, downtime) to detect process enhancement opportunities.

· Execute process modifications to increase safety, quality, efficiency, and throughput.

· Aid in new product or process introductions by supporting process setup, trials, and documentation.

· Drive and engage in continuous improvement initiatives by utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, and related methodologies.

· Lead root cause analysis efforts and apply corrective and preventive actions to tackle process problems.

· Proactively find and eliminate waste, decrease scrap, minimize labor inefficiencies, and lower material expenditures.

· Advocate kaizen events and continuously monitor improvement metrics and outcomes.

· Maintain process enhancements by updating documentation and conducting operator training sessions.

· Guide capital project initiatives by overseeing all phases, including equipment selection, justification, installation, and startup, to boost operational capabilities and reinforce business objectives.

· Develop and support capital requests by preparing ROI analyses and technical specifications aligned with organizational goals and cost reduction strategies.

· Facilitate cross-functional collaboration with vendors, Maintenance, and Operations teams for seamless equipment installation and successful commissioning.

· Support process validation, capability studies, and acceptance testing for new or modified equipment to ensure compliance with quality, safety, and performance standards.

· Update and maintain documentation, standard work, and process instructions to reflect changes following capital project implementation for sustained improvements and knowledge transfer.

· Proactively back manufacturing processes by aligning with internal quality systems and customer demands, driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.

· Support non-conformance investigations and implement corrective actions to uphold high product quality standards and compliance.

· Incorporate safety, ergonomics, and risk mitigation strategies into process design and improvement efforts for a secure and efficient work surroundings.

· Support internal audits and documentation reviews to sustain compliance and process dependability.

· Promote a culture of quality, safety, and continuous improvement throughout the production floor to consistently achieve business aims.

Education & Experience Requirements of the Manufacturing/Process Engineer:

· Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, or related field) required

· 4–7 years of hands-on manufacturing or process engineering experience in a production environment

· Demonstrated ability to independently analyze, improve, and sustain manufacturing processes

· Experience in lean manufacturing.

· Experience with capital projects.

· Strong working knowledge of process capability, cycle time analysis, scrap reduction, and efficiency metrics

· Proven experience developing and maintaining detailed work instructions, standard work, and process documentation

· Experience supporting capital equipment installation, commissioning, and process validation activities

· Must enjoy being hands-on working with production teams

· Advanced problem-solving skills with practical application of root cause analysis methodologies

· Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing data

· Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain

· Ability to travel up to 15% to support the needs of the business.