What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Manufacturing Engineer position at MTM Trailer Manufacturing?
MTM Trailer Manufacturing builds premium steel and aluminum end-dump trailers in Kewanee, IL. We are growing fast and investing heavily in our fabrication capability — new weld fixturing, proprietary steel rolling processes, an expanding aluminum line, and other modernized processes across the plant. We are looking for a senior manufacturing engineer to help lead our growth and transformation.
The Role
This is a senior role with an expectation of roughly 50% hands-on shop floor collaboration and 50% leading capital projects end to end. You will own continuous improvement across fabrication, weld, paint and final assembly, help set and develop technical standards for the shop floor, mentor operators, work closely with operations leadership and report directly to the Director of Engineering. We are hiring for depth and leadership with a focus on execution and results.
What You'll Drive
• Continuous improvement & lean manufacturing — lead value-stream mapping, standard work, kaizen events, and cell/line layout across fabrication and assembly, with measurable gains in throughput, OEE, scrap, cost, and safety. This is the heart of the role.
• Capital projects, end to end — justification, design, vendor selection, installation, launch, and validation of material handling and fabrication equipment
• Fabrication process engineering — welding, brake forming, fixturing, weld sequencing, CNC machining and built-in quality on steel and aluminum trailer weldments
• Process documentation & ERP — build and maintain routings, work instructions, standard times, and BOMs; drive data-backed standard costing
• New-product introduction — partner with design engineering on DFM and smooth launch of new trailer configurations
• Technical leadership — drive technical excellence by developing a bill of process specific to MTM’s manufacturing processes
What You Bring
• 5 years required (7 preferred) in manufacturing or process engineering in heavy fabrication — welding, press brakes, plate cutting, structural steel and/or aluminum
• Proven continuous-improvement / lean leadership — a track record of running CI or lean programs with quantified results, not just participation
• Genuine comfort on the shop floor combined with demonstrated capital-project management
• Trailer, truck-body, heavy-equipment, or comparable heavy-fabrication manufacturing experience strongly preferred
• Lean / Six Sigma credentials a plus; ERP/MRP fluency (routings, BOMs, standard costing)
• Engineering degree preferred; equivalent hands-on heavy-fab experience will be considered
Why MTM
You will have real ownership and visible impact at a growing manufacturer during a period of heavy capital investment — a high-profile leadership role where the improvements you make show up on the floor and in the numbers. Located in Kewanee, IL, near the greater Quad Cities region. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate.
To apply, connect with Nick Ballard, Director of Engineering, or email your resume to careers@mtmbuilt.com.