What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manufacturing Engineer position at Petersen Inc.?
Key Responsibilities
Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
Education
Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives targeting safety, quality, throughput, and cost reduction.
- Conduct Kaizen events, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, and other structured improvement activities.
- Identify workflow bottlenecks and implement sustainable process enhancements.
- Develop, track, and report KPIs including efficiency, scrap, downtime, OEE, labor utilization, and on-time delivery.
- Standardize production processes and establish best practices across operations.
- Support 5S, visual management, and plant-wide operational discipline.
- Provide engineering support for fabrication, welding, machining, assembly, and material handling operations.
- Design, improve, and validate tooling, fixtures, jigs, and production aids.
- Analyze manufacturing methods and recommend process changes to enhance efficiency and quality.
- Partner with maintenance and operations to improve equipment reliability and uptime.
- Support capital projects including equipment specification, installation, commissioning, and capability validation.
- Troubleshoot manufacturing and mechanical process issues.
- Support corrective and preventive action activities addressing manufacturing defects and process failures.
- Participate in root cause investigations and corrective action implementation.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA standards, safety policies, and company procedures.
- Promote a culture of quality, safety, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.
- Work closely with production supervisors, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and leadership teams.
- Train and coach employees on Lean tools, standard work, and improvement methodologies.
- Support new product introductions and provide manufacturability input during design reviews.
- Communicate project updates, performance improvements, and operational impacts to leadership.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related discipline required.
- 3--7 years of engineering experience in manufacturing or metal fabrication.
- Proven success executing Continuous Improvement or Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
- Hands-on experience with fabrication processes such as welding, machining, forming, laser/plasma cutting, or assembly.
- Strong understanding of Lean, Six Sigma, and root cause analysis tools.
- Experience in process optimization, production flow analysis, and manufacturing systems.
- Proficiency with CAD and engineering drawings.
- Knowledge of industrial equipment, tooling, and fabrication processes.
- Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production performance metrics.