Manufacturing Engineer — Process Improvement & Lean

We've partnered with a leading Aerospace, Defense & Government (ADG) manufacturer to find a senior Manufacturing / Process Engineer who operates at the system level — someone who investigates the real root cause, implements lasting process changes, and eliminates recurring fires instead of just putting them out.

This is not a reactive, MRB-and-deviations seat. You'll own process improvement end-to-end in a high-reliability, AS9100 environment — driving supplier quality improvements, leading Kaizen events, and building Lean culture by training and coaching teams across the shop floor.

What You'll Own

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action (RCCA) for manufacturing quality issues — 8D, DMAIC, A3 — and implement systemic fixes that hold.
• Drive continuous improvement across production lines: Kaizen events, value stream mapping, 5S, standard work, visual management, and waste reduction.
• Improve incoming parts quality by partnering with suppliers on process-level improvements and resolving outside-processing issues.
• Collaborate with design engineering on DFM/DFS — review drawings for manufacturability and serviceability, and propose design changes that improve quality, reduce cost, and simplify assembly.
• Train and coach operators, supervisors, and fellow engineers on Lean principles to build a durable culture of continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain work instructions, work order routings, manufacturing aids, and process documentation.
• Partner with Quality and Inventory Control on non-conforming material investigations and disposition.
• Select and procure tools, fixtures, and equipment to support efficient, safe, and compliant production.
• Conduct cost analyses and identify cost-reduction opportunities without compromising product quality.
• Support labor quoting and proposals for new customer programs.

What We're Looking For (Must-Haves)

• 5–10 years of manufacturing engineering experience in an ADG or comparable regulated, high-reliability environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• Formal Lean / Continuous Improvement training — Six Sigma Green Belt minimum (Black Belt preferred) or equivalent credentialed training (Honeywell HOS, Danaher DBS, Toyota TPS, GE, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience leading — not just participating in — Kaizen events, with measurable before/after results.
• Strong structured problem-solving and root cause analysis discipline (8D, DMAIC, 5 Whys, fishbone, A3).
• DFM / DFS judgment and a track record of influencing design engineering in design reviews.
• A proactive, systems-level mindset — you fix the process, not just the part.
• Experience in an AS9100-controlled manufacturing environment.
• Ability to teach and train cross-functional teams on Lean principles and practices.
• US Citizen or Permanent Resident (required due to federal contract obligations).

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Six Sigma Black Belt.
• Experience with cable and wire harness assembly manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of IPC standards — IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-A-610, J-STD-001.
• Experience with PPAP, First Article Inspection (AS9102), and source inspection.
• Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE) collaboration or direct supplier development experience.
• PCBA and complex electro-mechanical assembly experience.

Why This Role

• Real scope: process improvement end-to-end, from supplier quality through the floor to design partnership — not just documentation maintenance.
• You'll be the person building Lean culture, not fitting into someone else's program.
• Direct influence on product quality, cost, and throughput across an ADG product portfolio.
• If you're a senior ME stuck in reactive firefighting and want to actually do systems-level work — this is that seat.