Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

Job DescriptionManufacturing Engineer – Hands-On Manufacturing & Process ImprovementLocation: Henderson, TNPay: $100-120k
Work Environment: Onsite – Approximately 80% Manufacturing Floor
Position Overview Sterling Engineering is partnering with a manufacturing company seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to support production operations, new product introductions, equipment troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. This is a highly hands-on role, with approximately 80% of the day spent on the manufacturing floor. The ideal candidate enjoys working directly with machinery, tooling, and production teams to identify problems, develop solutions, and improve manufacturing processes.
What We're Looking For Someone who is equally comfortable reviewing engineering drawings and working directly with machines on the production floor. This position is best suited for a practical, mechanically inclined engineer who enjoys troubleshooting equipment, developing tooling solutions, and making improvements that directly impact production. This is not a desk-based design engineering position.
Key Responsibilities

• Support new product introductions, including machine setups, programming, tooling, and production readiness.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing equipment, production processes, and product-related issues directly on the shop floor.
• Design, modify, and improve tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing processes.
• Use AutoCAD and Creo to make engineering design changes, modify components, and support production needs.
• Interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, part layouts, and tolerances to ensure manufacturability and inspection requirements.
• Apply gauge theory and inspection principles to verify product quality and dimensional accuracy.
• Investigate manufacturing problems, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Work directly with machine operators, technicians, and production supervisors to resolve equipment and process issues.
• Support machine programming, equipment modifications, and manufacturing process improvements.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation, work instructions, and manufacturing procedures.
• Maintain accurate engineering records within PLM systems, following document control and check-in/check-out requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, reduce scrap, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Lead engineering projects involving equipment, tooling, process improvements, and production support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required.
• 5+ years of manufacturing experience, including operational leadership or hands-on production support.
• Strong hands-on mechanical aptitude and experience troubleshooting manufacturing equipment.
• Experience with tooling, fixturing, machine setups, and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, part layouts, and gauge theory.
• Experience using AutoCAD and Creo for engineering design changes and component modifications.
• Understanding of machining, fabrication, assembly processes, and manufacturing equipment.
• Familiarity with PLM systems and engineering document control procedures.
• Strong root cause analysis, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent documentation, organizational, and communication skills.
• Willingness to work directly with existing manufacturing equipment and learn new processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• CNC or other machine programming experience.
• Welding and fabrication experience.
• Robotics or industrial automation experience.
• PPAP experience, particularly within automotive manufacturing.
• ISO 9001 or ISO 13485 experience.
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) experience.
• Project management and Lean Manufacturing experience.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.