What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Manufacturing Engineer position at Kidde-Fenwal LLC?
Associate Manufacturing Engineer
Location: Ashland, MA
About KiddeFenwal
KiddeFenwal is a global leader in industrial and commercial fire suppression systems and safety controls. Through our trusted brands—Kidde Fire Systems and Kidde Fire Protection—we deliver certified fire detection, suppression, and control solutions across industrial, commercial, and marine sectors. Our Fenwal Controls business supports OEMs with gas ignition, temperature control, and overheat detection products.
Headquartered in Ashland, Massachusetts, with operations in the United States, United Kingdom (KFI-UK), and India (KTI-India), we are committed to protecting lives, livelihoods, and iconic assets worldwide. Learn more at www.kiddefenwal.com.
Our Purpose
We protect lives and livelihoods through innovation, trusted partnerships, and a commitment to excellence. Integrity, safety, and teamwork are the foundation of everything we do.
About the Role
We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Associate Manufacturing Engineer to join our team in Ashland, MA. In this role, you’ll help design, develop, and optimize manufacturing processes and layouts to improve product quality, performance, and operational efficiency.
This position offers an excellent opportunity for early-career engineers to apply lean manufacturing principles, contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, and grow within a collaborative and technically driven environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and support Process Certification, Lean Transformation, and Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives across operations.
- Identify and analyze process waste (Muda) and collaborate with Finance to quantify and track improvements against business objectives.
- Plan and facilitate Kaizen and other improvement events using PDCA methodology.
- Support Pro-Cert initiatives including PFMEA, Gauge R&R, capability studies, control plans, and process capability audits.
- Develop and maintain key factory systems such as QCPC, Tool Request, RPA (Request for Production Assistance), and CI certification programs.
- Participate in company-wide CI assessments and evaluations, contributing to the development of best practices.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and SPC tools and methodologies.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across departments and influence positive change.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities.
Preferred Qualifications & Experience
- 1–3 years of experience as a manufacturing engineer in a medium-volume, high-product-variability environment.
- Proficiency in root cause analysis tools such as 5W 1H, 4M, and 5 Why.
- Familiarity with World Class Manufacturing (WCM), Toyota Production System (TPS), or similar continuous improvement frameworks.
- Working knowledge of lean pillars such as Workplace Organization (5S), Focused Improvement, Autonomous Maintenance, and Logistics.
Role Objectives
- Drive a culture of data-driven decision-making within the operations team.
- Support and coach teams in adopting root cause analysis and structured problem-solving practices.
- Identify, quantify, and eliminate operational inefficiencies through continuous improvement and process optimization.
Why Join Us?
As an Associate Manufacturing Engineer at KiddeFenwal, you’ll have the opportunity to make a tangible impact on our production performance and quality standards. You’ll gain hands-on experience in lean transformation while contributing to meaningful projects that support our mission of protecting lives and livelihoods through innovation and excellence.
Kidde-Fenwal Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.