Sr. Manufacturing Engineer

About the Company

HDT Global (BLADE) is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Sr. Mgr. Engineer to join our Huntsville, AL manufacturing team. This is a hands-on role ideal for an engineering professional with a strong mechanical background, a passion for process improvement, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic production environment. “We are not looking for job seekers. We want changemakers!”

About the Role

The Sr MFG Engineer position will provide manufacturing engineering support to facilitate the successful development of new systems and products, or modifications and revisions to current systems and products. The Sr MFG Engineering position offers a variety of engineering opportunities including fixture design, analysis, 3D modeling, plant layout, line layout, process evaluation, machine programming, and testing. Position is 100% on-site.

Responsibilities

• Lead new product introduction (NPI) activities from design handoff through full-rate production, including process development, tooling qualification, and first article inspection (FAI).
• Coordinate line activation efforts for new and transferred product lines, ensuring readiness across equipment, labor, materials, and documentation.
• Partner concurrently with design engineering to provide manufacturing feedback during product development (DFM/DFA), reducing design changes post-release.
• Develop and optimize production floor layouts using industrial engineering principles, including value stream mapping, material flow analysis, and workstation design.
• Establish and document work instructions, time studies, and standard work for new production processes.
• Define and track key line activation milestones, coordinating across cross-functional teams including quality, supply chain, and program management.
• Apply industrial engineering methods (time and motion studies, capacity analysis, line balancing) to optimize throughput and labor efficiency.
• Support equipment selection, installation, and qualification for new production lines.
• Reports progress and status to relevant stakeholders.
• Completes assigned tasks on time and budget while meeting requirements.
• Embraces or leads initiatives (depending on experience).
• Participates in new product release process and transitions designs to the production floor.
• Proactively identifies and mitigates risks.
• Guides interns and provides mentorship to other engineers as needed.
• Reviews engineering specifications and requirements, and under direction, develops best methods to support.

Qualifications

• BS Degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, Industrial Engineering, or similar field.
• 5-7 years’ prior experience in similar technical role; military/defense experience preferred.
• Product development experience - concept through production release.
• Demonstrated experience with work cell layout and production line setup.
• Experience with sewing machines, CNC cutting equipment, and RF or hot air welding processes a plus; Robotic Welding experience a plus.
• Experience in a sheet metal and metal fabrication production environment using primarily steel and aluminum alloy; structural shapes and extrusions; experience designing assembly improvement fixtures is required.
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritize work assignments, and multi-task to meet deadlines.
• SolidWorks experience required; Certification a plus, AutoCAD and SolidWorks CAMWorks experience helpful.
• SAP experience a plus.
• LEAN/Six Sigma certification a plus.
• Basic knowledge/understanding of industry standards (AS9100, ISO 9001) and first article.

Required Skills

• Strong mechanical background.
• Passion for process improvement.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic production environment.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with sewing machines, CNC cutting equipment, and RF or hot air welding processes.
• Robotic Welding experience.
• LEAN/Six Sigma certification.

Pay range and compensation package

This job description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this role.

Equal Opportunity Statement

This position requires access to or use of export-controlled technical data or technology controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Accordingly, applicants must be U.S. Persons or must be eligible to obtain the required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce. A U.S. Person is defined as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or a person who is a protected individual under the Immigration and Naturalization Act (8 U.S.C. 1324(b)(a)(3).